Relationship dossier
Canada
France
Relationship assessment
Canada and France sustain close cooperation in defence, security, diplomacy and cultural affairs.
Canada toward France
+60Canada cooperates with France through NATO and bilateral defence and security arrangements. Canada leads the multinational NATO force in Latvia, in which French forces have participated, and the two governments have advanced an enhanced partnership agenda.
France toward Canada
+60France cooperates with Canada through NATO and bilateral defence and security arrangements. French forces have participated in the multinational NATO force in Latvia led by Canada, and the two governments have advanced an enhanced partnership agenda.
Overall relationship
+65The relationship is underpinned by sustained defence and security cooperation, including practical cooperation within NATO, and a bilateral partnership agenda covering broader areas. These durable ties support a close relationship while leaving room for occasional disagreements on particular issues.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Canada and France maintain a sustained partnership in defence, security, diplomacy and cultural cooperation. Their NATO alliance includes practical military cooperation, including France's participation in the multinational force in Latvia led by Canada. The two governments have also set out bilateral cooperation through an enhanced partnership agenda. Their relationship is close, though it is not without occasional differences on specific policy and maritime issues.
Key developments
Canada and France advanced an enhanced bilateral cooperation agenda, including defence and security cooperation.
French forces participated in the NATO multinational force in Latvia led by Canada.
Major uncertainties
- The extent and current implementation of cooperation under the bilateral partnership agenda are unclear.
- The frequency and significance of recent bilateral disagreements are uncertain.