Carney embarks on a worldwide summit tour to build bridges with Europe and Asia
Ireland, Philippines, Cambodia, China are all on the PM's agenda
Prime Minister Mark Carney will clock about 36,000 kilometres over the next 10 days as he takes part in a series of European and Asian summits, and doubles back across two oceans to avoid crossing Russian airspace.
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he → embark → airspace
"We will discuss many things," Carney said in Montreal on Tuesday, listing the "security situation around the world" as well as the two countries' economic partnership — "something that is deepening but has clear guardrails."
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that → discuss → guardrails
Carney also said that Canada would finally replace its ambassador to China.
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Canada → say → China
The post has been unfilled for six months, but Carney said the person has been selected and they're in the process of agreeing with China on the appointment, which is a standard diplomatic process.
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which → unfille → appointment
Carney plans to announce new ambassador to China 'in very short order'
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Carney → plan → order
China twice blocked Canada's Tiananmen Square tribute: documents
"It's a little longer than we would have liked" since the post was filled, he said.
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he → block → tribute
"We would hope to make the announcement in very short order."
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We → hope → order
A summit in Dublin
Carney's first destination is Dublin, Ireland, where the European Political Community is holding its ninth summit on Thursday.
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Community → hold → Thursday
The EPC is a venue where EU members can meet with non-members such as the U.K., Turkey, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.
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members → meet → U.K.
Since 2022, Ukraine has often been the main topic at EPC events, and that is expected to be the case in Dublin too, with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy in attendance.
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that → expect → attendance
Ireland has suffered a wave of bomb threats and cyberattacks in recent days that the government of Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said have a "Russian dimension."
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government → suffer → dimension
Several flights on national carrier Aer Lingus and Irish discount airline Ryanair were delayed or diverted as a result of threats.
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flights → delay → threats
In Dublin, office buildings, including national broadcaster RTÉ, had to be evacuated.
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buildings → include → RTÉ
Carney is joining the summit as the only non-European invitee.
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Carney → join → invitee
It will be his second EPC summit, after attending one in Yerevan, Armenia, in May.
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It → attend → May
It follows hard on the heels of a Canada-EU summit in Montreal, and fits neatly into the Carney agenda of greater integration with Europe.
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It → follow → Europe
As summits go, the EPC is considered fairly informal.
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EPC → go → ?
There is no joint communiqué or statement to be negotiated, and a space called the leaders' lounge is set up to facilitate spontaneous bilateral discussions.
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space → be → discussions
The security around the event is less likely to be relaxed, however.
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security → relax → event
Last year's summit in Copenhagen was preceded by incursions of large drones, forcing the closure of the city's airport.
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summit → precede → airport
Europe has experienced a significant escalation in drone overflights and cyberattacks since then.
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Europe → experience → overflights
Talk of building a European "drone wall" to resist such incursions is ongoing and likely to be a major topic in Dublin.
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Talk → build → Dublin
From Dublin, Carney will travel to Manila for the 49th summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
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Carney → travel → Nations
The shortest way to reach the Philippines from Ireland is to fly east, but that route would take the PM's plane thousands of kilometres across Russia.
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route → reach → Russia
So instead, Carney will cross back over the Atlantic, refuel in Anchorage, Alaska, and then cross the Pacific.
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Carney → cross → Pacific
Canada is currently negotiating a free trade agreement with the ASEAN bloc, and also separately with host nation the Philippines.
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Canada → negotiate → nation
Carney will meet with Filipino President Ferdinand (Bongbong) Marcos Jr. on Saturday.
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Carney → meet → Saturday
Carney is seen with President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the ASEAN summit last year.
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Carney → see → summit
"I think we can expect that there will be a bilateral trade agreement of some kind that will be announced," said Guy Saint-Jacques, former Canadian ambassador to China.
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Jacques → think → China
"It's a developing country and they are looking for investment, they are looking for technologies to help them to develop, to protect their environment.
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them → develop → environment
They are probably looking also to get more Canadian food products, and also to export more of their products.
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They → look → products
They want to develop other export markets than China.
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They → want → China
Canada is keen to expand its agri-food exports to Asia, and to overcome trade obstacles that have emerged in recent years for Canadian pork, pulses and other products.
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that → expand → pork
Currently, pork exports to the country are expected to drop, and Manila is set to impose a 60-day ban on pork imports starting a week after Carney's visit.
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Manila → expect → visit
Canada has appointed a defence attaché to the region, based in Manila, a sign of the importance it gives to its missions in the area, which include dark vessel detection and presence patrols in contested waters.
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which → appoint → waters
The Philippines has had many issues exercising sovereignty over some of its waters and islands.
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Philippines → have → waters
"We know that there will be more military-to-military exchanges," Saint-Jacques said.
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Jacques → know → military
"So the fact that the prime minister is visiting the country is a confirmation that we want to support and help the Philippines."
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we → visit → Philippines
China is not a member of ASEAN, but it is a "dialogue partner" and Chinese Premier Li Qiang is expected to be in Manila.
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Qiang → expect → Manila
PM to meet PSPP in Cambodia
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PM → meet → Cambodia
…and 16 more, not listed.
The Aporia
