(Reuters) -Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed the war in Ukraine and the situation in Gaza on the sidelines of the G20 summit in South Africa, the Canadian government said on Saturday.
The two leaders reaffirmed their support for Ukraine and stressed that any settlement to the war must involve Kyiv, respect Ukraine’s core interests and provide security guarantees, the Canadian government said in a statement.
Carney committed to working with allies to reach a “just and lasting peace” in Ukraine, it said.
The two leaders also stressed the need to bring stability to Gaza and to accelerate reconstruction efforts to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis there.
Carney and Macron discussed the Group of Seven advanced economies as Canada concludes its presidency and France prepares to assume the role, the statement said.
Canada seeks to elevate its relationship with France with “more cooperation and new partnerships” across energy, defence, aerospace, technology and critical minerals, it said.
“Prime Minister Carney and President Macron agreed to remain in close contact and directed their officials to accelerate progress on the priorities discussed,” it added.
(Reporting by Preetika Parashuraman in Bengaluru; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
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