Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, met with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (UK), Andy Burnham, during his visit to the UK.
Prime Minister Carney and Prime Minister Burnham underscored the close relationship between Canada and the UK, rooted in historic ties and shared values. They noted the deep and growing defence and security partnership between the two countries and discussed opportunities to further strengthen these efforts.
To that end, Prime Minister Carney announced that Canada has formally applied to join the Joint Expeditionary Force and welcomed the UK’s support for Canada’s participation in this important initiative.
Prime Minister Carney and Prime Minister Burnham also discussed opportunities for defence industrial cooperation through the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), which Canada joined as an observer in July 2026.
Canada and the UK continue to work toward a new permanent arrangement to modernise British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) through the BATUS Future Project. The Project will showcase CFB Suffield as a world-class facility for the development and testing of new equipment and cutting-edge technology.
Prime Minister Carney and Prime Minister Burnham also emphasised the importance of strengthening economic cooperation.
Looking forward, the prime ministers agreed to deepen cooperation on frontier technologies, including advancing the safe and responsible development and use of artificial intelligence.
Prime Minister Carney and Prime Minister Burnham agreed to remain in close contact.