French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday that Iran's announcement of reopening Strait of Hormuz goes in the right direction.
Macron made the statement at a joint declaration following a conference co-hosted by France and Britain in Paris, which brought together 49 countries to discuss securing freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attended the meeting, while officials from across Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East joined by video conference.
At the meeting, Macron welcomed the ceasefires in Iran and Lebanon, describing them as positive development. However, he stressed that it's necessary to remain vigilant.
"We all oppose any restriction, any agreement regime that would effectively amount to an attempt to privatize the strait, and obviously any toll system," he said.
He also announced that a neutral, independent mission would be set up to ensure the openness of the Strait of Hormuz, noting that a planning meeting was scheduled for the following week in London.
Starmer, for his part, expressed the hope that talks would resume, and a lasting agreement would be reached.
He said that Britain and France will lead a multinational mission to safeguard shipping as soon as conditions allow, noting that the mission will be strictly defensive and intended to reassure shipping and support mine-clearing operations.
Around a dozen countries were ready to contribute assets to the defensive mission, Starmer noted.
Meloni said that it is necessary to ensure the absence of mines and guarantee the safety of vessels transiting through the strait in order to reassure the maritime shipping sector, adding that Italy stands ready to deploy its naval units in a strictly defensive posture.
Germany "will participate in the ongoing military planning discussions" and "we would welcome, if possible, participation from the United States," Merz said.
Macron welcomes reopening Strait of Hormuz at multilateral meeting
Macron welcomes reopening Strait of Hormuz at multilateral meeting
Officials and exhibitors from Canada on Monday hailed the important role of the China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in promoting international trade, saying it serves as a great platform for Canadian authorities and businesses to better understand Chinese consumers and market trends.
Canada is the Guest Country of Honor at the CICPE 2026, or the six CICPE.
The event, held in Haikou City of south China's tropical island province of Hainan from April 13-18, served as a key gateway for around 40 Canadian companies to access China's vast consumer market, with exhibitors showcasing a diverse range of products from premium cosmetics and health products to agriculture and pet food.
RJ Sigurdson, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation of western Canada's Alberta province, said the expo helped him to understand the current market trends.
"It's really important for me to see what the market trends are here and to be able to maximize on those market trends. We're here to be able to have those conversations and see how we can be a better trading partner, and how we're going to be able to flow our high quality agricultural commodities into this country," said the minister.
Ji Hualei, a Canadian exhibitor who is launching a new wearable device at the expo, expressed his confidence in China's market potential.
"We have observed a clear shift of Chinese consumers' focus from one specific function of products to healthiness and sustainability. The CICPE provides an excellent platform for showcasing and launching our new products, and I think Hainan's zero-tariff policy will also offering us great resources," said the exhibitor.
Attending an event at the Canada Pavilion, Canada's Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu said more efforts will be made to boost trade and exchanges between his country and China.
"Very important for us to be at the show. As the Chinese consumer market grows, we're exploring more options to get more flights between China and Canada to build more people to people ties, and more tourism between the two countries," said Sidhu.
This year's CICPE is the first national-level consumer expo since the launch of island-wide special customs operation in the Hainan Free Trade Port in December 2025, drawing participation of more than 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions.
Since its launch in 2021, the expo has become an important platform for multinationals to stay abreast of consumer trends in China's vast market, with over 3,800 enterprises and more than 12,000 brands from 92 countries and regions participating over the past five editions.
Canadian officials, exhibitors hail role of Hainan consumer products expo in trade promotion
