Trade, climate G7 focus

Photo: The Canadian Press

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau makes his way through the streets of Taromina, Italy during the G7 Summit on Friday.

Canada is planning to champion the benefits of free trade and action on climate change at the G7 Summit in Taormina, Sicily, even as U.S. President Donald Trump tries to steer the world in another direction.

"There are clearly some areas where the Canadian position may not be universally embraced," Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters Friday morning.

A senior Canadian government official with intimate knowledge of the negotiations says the Paris Agreement on the fight against climate change, which Trump might back out of, and international trade remain major sticking points that will likely keep talks going through the night.

The official noted there are also likely to be gaps between the leaders on migration policy, particularly when it intersects with the issue of international security.

Freeland, though, said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who now has the third-most seniority, will be looking to find common ground among the seven leaders around the table while standing firmly behind Canada's positions on those issues.

"We're always going to be clear at these meetings that climate change is a hugely important issue. It's hugely important for Canadians, and we are proud to be taking a strong stand at home, a strong stand around the world on this issue," Freeland said.