British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney have announced a renewed economic and security partnership, including a joint task force on AI and trade, during talks in Ottawa

The UK and Canada on Sunday unveiled a new initiative to deepen economic and security ties, establishing a joint task force focused on technology, artificial intelligence, and revitalized free trade negotiations.

The announcement followed a bilateral meeting between British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

According to a joint statement from Downing Street, the task force aims to “turbocharge progress” in key sectors that benefit both nations’ economies and enhance national security.

Talks also addressed the resumption of negotiations on a broader UK-Canada free trade agreement, which had stalled under the previous Conservative government due to disagreements over agricultural imports like beef and cheese.

“The Canada-UK partnership, rooted in a common history and enduring people-to-people ties, continues to grow stronger,” the statement read, highlighting shared goals of prosperity and trans-Atlantic security.

Both leaders reaffirmed support for a rules-based international order, emphasizing sovereignty, territorial integrity, and a fair global trading system.

On the sidelines of the G7 summit, Starmer also met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to discuss the crisis in the Middle East. The leaders expressed concern over the human toll and rising oil prices, calling for restraint and diplomatic de-escalation.

They also reiterated their continued support for Ukraine and pledged closer cooperation on European defense and migration challenges.

Starmer and Meloni agreed to intensify efforts to combat irregular migration, pledging joint work on innovative solutions to dismantle human smuggling networks.

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