OTTAWA - Canada's new Prime Minister Mark Carney began his term in office Friday by unreservedly rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex his northern neighbour.
Shortly after he was sworn in as Canada's 24th prime minister, replacing Justin Trudeau, who had been in office since 2015, Carney said confronting Trump's tariffs would be a top priority.
Canada "will never, in any way, shape or form, be a part of the United States," he added, while expressing hope that his government will one day be able to work with Washington to advance the interests of both countries.
Officials said they plan to arrange a phone call between Trump and Carney in the coming days.
Since Trump's return to power in January, Ottawa has been rocked by a collapse in cross-border relations that has sparked a trade war and demands that Canada give up its independence and become the 51st state of the US. Ottawa has retaliated against Trump's tariffs, while Canadian public opinion is outraged that the US president insists the border separating the two countries should be erased.
Carney called the Trump administration the biggest challenge Canada has faced in a generation and called US tariffs on Canadian goods unjustified. Carney named a new cabinet on Friday. The 24-member transition cabinet includes key figures responsible for managing Canada-U.S. relations.
Secretary of State Melanie Joly remains in her post, while former finance minister Dominic LeBlanc retains oversight of the Canada-U.S. file as Carney's new international trade minister. Former minister of innovation, science and industry Francois-Philippe Champagne has been promoted to finance minister.
"This new, leaner and more focused Cabinet includes returning ministers, experienced leaders and new voices that will bring new ideas and perspectives to the team as we tackle the tasks that matter most to Canadians, like strengthening Canada's economy and security," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.
After a decisive victory in the Liberal Party leadership election last Sunday, Carney took over from Justin Trudeau, who formally submitted his resignation to Governor General Mary Simon before Carney's swearing-in ceremony. It is widely expected that Carney will call an election before Parliament is scheduled to return in just over a week, meaning Canadians could vote in late April or early May.
CMG/ gnews.cz-jav
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