EVIAN, France, June 17 (V7N) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday that a forthcoming US-Iran agreement aimed at ending the conflict in the Middle East could be a “game changer” for the region and beyond. Speaking to reporters on day three of the G7 summit in Evian, France, Carney said there is “a likelihood that this memorandum of understanding agreement could be a game changer.”
Carney noted constructive talks at the summit, including discussions involving US President Donald Trump on both Ukraine and Lebanon. On Ukraine, he said Canada observed a shift in the US stance, describing it as “a more realistic expectation of where this war was going to go.” That includes a firmer position toward Russia, tighter sanctions, and potential additional defensive aid for Kyiv as it continues to resist Russia’s invasion, now in its fourth year.
The G7 leaders — from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain, and the United States — also held what Carney called a “very detailed discussion about Lebanon.” The potential US-Iran settlement follows US-Israeli strikes on Tehran on February 28 that escalated regional tensions. Negotiations on a final agreement are scheduled to start Friday in Switzerland, right after the accord is signed, with a 60-day period set aside to work out specifics.
However, optimism has been tempered by new Israeli strikes on sites in southern Lebanon allegedly linked to Iran-backed Hezbollah. Carney acknowledged the risks, saying, “Yes, there are risks. Yes, the accord has to be put into place.” Still, he stressed that the broad international involvement in shaping the deal could produce “positive knock-on effects.”
Late Tuesday, the G7 issued a joint statement welcoming “the breakthrough and the opportunity that currently exist in the Middle East.” The leaders said the memorandum of understanding offers a “historic opportunity to prevent Iran from acquiring any nuclear weapon and tackling the threats related to its regional and ballistic activities.”
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