By Max Saltman, CNN(CNN) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he expects US President Donald Trump to “respect Canadian sovereignty” following reports that Alberta separatists met with US officials numerous times. “I expect the US administration to respect Canadian sovereignty,” Carney said in Ottawa on Thursday, flanked by premiers from Canada’s provinces. Carney’s comments came after David Eby, the premier of British Columbia, accused a group of Alberta independence activists of “treason” for meeting with the Trump administration. Asked about the meetings, a White House official told CNN that “administration officials meet with a number of civil society groups. The Alberta government approved a petition for an independence referendum earlier in January, and activists have until May to collect 178,000 signatures from eligible voters.