June 15, 2025
Ottawa, Ontario
Today, Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada, and Sir Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (UK), met in Ottawa to reaffirm the profound friendship and shared values that unite both nations. The Canada-UK partnership, rooted in a common history and enduring people-to-people ties, continues to grow stronger, with a focus on delivering prosperity and security for the working people of Canada and the UK alike.
The two leaders discussed the many geopolitical challenges currently facing the world, including in the Middle East and tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, and reaffirmed their steadfast support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable war of aggression.
The two leaders underscored the importance of a fair, open and predictable global trading system; reiterated their commitment to a rules-based international order underpinned by respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity; and committed to advancing peace and trans-Atlantic security. They agreed the following joint initiatives aimed at strengthening economic growth and prosperity and enhancing collective security and defence:
Growth and Innovation Partnership
Canada and the UK are committed to delivering economic growth for their people. The two Prime Ministers today announced further collaboration on trade, science, technology and innovation. Through their Partnership, Canada and the UK will work together to:
- Trade: Strengthen trade ties as trusted, reliable partners. This will include expanding trade under the Canada-UK Trade Continuity Agreement. We will establish a new structured UK-Canada Economic and Trade Working Group to deepen our existing trading relationship further, including to address existing market access barriers, to expand existing arrangements into new areas, such as digital trade, and to explore cooperation in the development of critical minerals and sovereign artificial intelligence infrastructure. The working group will report back to both Prime Ministers within six months. Canada will seek to introduce legislation this autumn to ratify the UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership.
- Semiconductors: Deliver industrial R&D projects to enhance both nations’ complementary strengths in semiconductors, photonics, emerging materials and chip design. They will deepen connections between the innovation rich semiconductor ecosystems in Canada and the UK to help build resilient supply chains and accelerate breakthroughs in this key sector that is driving economic growth.
- Quantum: Announce a joint commitment to develop secure, transatlantic communications based on quantum technologies, allowing us to connect our national systems and lay the groundwork to create a truly global, next-generation network, with applications across our financial and telecoms sectors.
- Digital: Mutually reinforce nation-building digital public infrastructure by co-developing policy levers and standards, and common technology components.
- Artificial Intelligence: Deepen and explore new collaborations on frontier AI systems to support our national security. This will include a partnership agreement to strengthen existing collaboration on AI safety and security between the Canadian AI Safety Institute and UK AI Security Institute, and new Canadian and UK MOUs with leading Canadian AI firm Cohere. Under the Canadian MOU, Cohere will collaborate with the Canadian AI Safety Institute and develop their commitment to building cutting-edge data centres in Canada. Under the UK MOU, Cohere will expand their UK presence to support the delivery of the UK AI Opportunities Action Plan. Both MOUs reflect ongoing collaboration on the application of AI tools in security and intelligence and are rooted in Cohere’s strong foundations in Canada and ongoing commitment to the UK.
- Biomanufacturing: Strengthen collaboration to deliver economic growth and be better prepared for future health emergencies, including a joint investment of $14.8 million to support joint biomanufacturing research and development that will grow the talent and skills pipeline in both countries, and to help businesses scale.
- Civil Nuclear: Develop a world-leading fusion energy collaboration and deepen cooperation on nuclear energy from fission to reduce the influence of Russia on our international fuel supply chains.
- Critical Minerals: Intensify bilateral cooperation by conducting a strategic mapping exercise to pinpoint key critical minerals, infrastructure, production and processing capacities. They will identify projects for joint investment to support secure and sustainable critical minerals supply chain development and leverage all available financial tools to mobilize funding and drive production to strengthen our manufacturing and mining sectors.
Enhanced Defence and Security Partnership
The two leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation – both bilaterally and through the NATO Alliance and Five Eyes partnership – to safeguard democratic values advance global stability and ensure the safety of our people in an increasingly complex world. To achieve this, they committed to:
- Ukraine: Further support Ukraine in its self-defence against Russia’s war of aggression. This will include continued support for the Coalition of the Willing and respective efforts to support Ukraine’s domestic defence industrial production. The UK and Canada will continue to work together to support the Air Force Capability Coalition and develop cutting edge aircraft weaponry technology in support of Ukraine.
- Military Cooperation: Position the Canada-UK defence relationship for further growth across military operations, industrial collaboration, and defence innovation, catalyzed by Canada’s newly announced defence investment trajectory and the UK’s Strategic Defence Review. Canada and the UK will work towards a new permanent arrangement for the long-term and sustainable use of British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) through the “BATUS Future Project”. The Project will deepen the Canada-UK relationship on defence and showcase CFB Suffield as a multi-purpose facility for the development and testing of new equipment and cutting-edge technology which are vital to maintaining our shared security and prosperity.
- Intelligence: Build on the long history of deep and productive collaboration between our security and intelligence organizations by launching coordinated operational campaigns to combat terrorism and violent extremism, and deepening collaboration on enhanced intelligence collection, including by expanding officer exchange programs.
- National Security: Tackle evolving state threats together, including sabotage, transnational repression, foreign interference, malicious cyber activity, information manipulation and economic coercion, all of which seeks to undermine our national security and that of our Allies and partners. This will include joint work to invest in civil society organizations actively working to counter digital transnational repression through the Joint Canada-UK Common Good Cyber Fund, a first-of-its-kind multilateral fund aimed at supporting civil society actors at high risk. To kickstart this fund, Canada and the UK are providing $5.7 million in seed funding to the Fund, which will be disbursed over 5 years. They also agreed to strengthen bilateral development and delivery of secure communications products and cutting-edge cryptography and explore new research partnerships to address gaps in AI security and evolve AI models to support national security.
- Border Security: Strengthen bilateral cooperation to tackle transnational organized criminal organizations engaged in the illicit movement of goods and narcotics, and bolster our response to combat irregular migration, migrant smuggling and human trafficking, including through deeper bilateral information and knowledge exchange.
June 11, 2025
Ottawa, Ontario
Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, spoke with the President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Prime Minister Carney and President Lula discussed opportunities to deepen trade between Canada and Brazil. The leaders agreed to accelerate co-operation on energy security and critical minerals, particularly as part of Canada’s 2025 G7 Presidency and as Brazil hosts the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) later this year.
Prime Minister Carney and President Lula emphasized shared values between the two nations, including protecting the environment and building stronger economies in partnership with Indigenous Peoples.
Prime Minister Carney invited President Lula to Canada’s 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, where the leaders look forward to meeting next week.
Associated Link
June 11, 2025
Ottawa, Ontario
Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, spoke with the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa.
The leaders agreed to advance shared priorities during their respective G7 and G20 presidencies this year, including energy, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, and wildfires. The Prime Minister thanked the President for South Africa’s deployment of firefighters to help combat wildfires in Canada in recent years.
Prime Minister Carney and President Ramaphosa also agreed to deepen the partnership between Canada and South Africa. They looked forward to meeting at the 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta.
Associated Links
June 11, 2025
Ottawa, Ontario
Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, announced his intention to name Michael Sabia as Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet, effective July 7, 2025.
Mr. Sabia brings over three decades of expertise across the public and private sectors, including as President and CEO of Hydro-Québec, President and CEO of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), Canada’s Deputy Minister of Finance, and Director of the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy. He has also held senior roles at Bell Canada Enterprises, as President and CEO, at Canadian National Railway, and in the Privy Council Office. In recognition of his leadership across business, finance, and public service, Mr. Sabia was named an Officer of the Order of Canada.
As Canada’s new government builds the strongest economy in the G7, Mr. Sabia’s leadership will be key to this mission. Canada’s exemplary public service – with Mr. Sabia at the helm – will advance nation-building projects, catalyze enormous private investment to drive growth, and deliver the change Canadians want and deserve.
The Prime Minister thanked John Hannaford for his service as Clerk of the Privy Council and congratulated him on his upcoming retirement. Mr. Hannaford joined the federal public service in 1995 and has served in a number of senior roles, including as Deputy Minister of Natural Resources, Deputy Minister of International Trade, and Foreign and Defence Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister. From 2009 to 2012, he was Ambassador of Canada to Norway.
Mr. Hannaford’s leadership has helped guide Canada’s response to a wide array of new trade and security challenges, and supported Canada’s new government in passing a middle-class tax cut, introducing stronger border security measures, and tabling legislation to build one Canadian economy. His expertise during the new government’s transition period has been invaluable. As Head of the Public Service, he also led a renewed dialogue on values and ethics to guide public servants as they deliver results for Canadians during these extraordinary times. To recognize his contributions to public service, Mr. Hannaford will be appointed as a member of the King’s Privy Council for Canada prior to his retirement.
The Prime Minister also thanked the public service for their unwavering dedication at this important moment for Canada’s future.
Quote
“As Canada’s new government moves with focus and determination to build the strongest economy in the G7, bring down costs for Canadians, and keep communities safe, Mr. Sabia will help us deliver on this mandate and our government’s disciplined focus on core priorities. I congratulate Mr. Hannaford on his retirement as the Clerk of the Privy Council and for his steadfast dedication and service to Canada.”
— The Rt. Hon. Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada
Quick Fact
- The role of the Clerk of the Privy Council is to advise the Prime Minister and elected government officials in managing the country, from an objective, non-partisan, public policy perspective. The Clerk also ensures Canada’s federal public service is managed effectively and follows a code of value and ethics in its work to design and deliver high-quality services and programs for Canadians.
Biographical Note
June 12, 2025
Ottawa, Ontario
Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, spoke with the President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Prime Minister Carney recognized the UAE’s leadership in artificial intelligence and energy, and discussed opportunities to deepen bilateral collaboration in these sectors.
The two leaders committed to remaining in contact.
Associated Link
June 15, 2025
Ottawa, Ontario
Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, met with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (UK), Sir Keir Starmer.
Prime Minister Carney welcomed Prime Minister Starmer to Ottawa. Building on Prime Minister Carney’s visit to London earlier this year, the leaders emphasized the deep and historic ties between Canada and the UK.
The prime ministers underscored opportunities to strengthen that relationship to the benefit of Canada and the UK, including further collaboration on trade. To that end, they welcomed the creation of a new structured UK-Canada Economic and Trade Working Group to address existing market access barriers, to expand existing arrangements into new areas, such as digital trade, and to explore co-operation in the development of critical minerals and sovereign artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure. Prime Minister Carney also announced that the new government would seek to introduce legislation this fall to ratify the UK’s accession to the CPTPP.
The leaders agreed to strengthen co-operation on defence and security, both bilaterally and through the NATO Alliance and Five Eyes partnership. To that end, they discussed their recent respective defence investments and announced the launch of the Joint Canada-UK Common Good Cyber Fund, which will support joint efforts to counter digital transnational repression and support civil society actors at high risk. The Fund will be supported by an initial joint investment of $5.7 million over five years.
Prime Minister Carney and Prime Minister Starmer emphasized collaboration on AI systems to support our national security, including a partnership agreement to strengthen existing collaboration on AI safety and security between the Canadian AI Safety Institute and the UK AI Security Institute, as well as new Canadian and UK memoranda of understanding with leading Canadian AI firm Cohere.
The prime ministers also announced a joint $14.8 million investment in biomanufacturing to support research and development in both countries, including to better prepare for future health emergencies, and they welcomed increased collaboration on critical minerals and civil nuclear energy.
The leaders discussed international conflicts, expressing their support for a just and lasting peace for Ukraine, the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and de-escalation of tensions between Israel and Iran.
Prime Minister Carney and Prime Minister Starmer looked forward to further discussions at the 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta.
