Canada and five Nordic countries have agreed to expand cooperation in military industrial production and the procurement of defense equipment. The move is part of a broader effort by Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, to strengthen new international partnerships. Carney has sought closer ties with China, countries in West Asia, India, and Europe in an effort to reduce Canada’s reliance on the United States and promote a trade system based on middle-power nations. Leaders of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Canada met in Oslo on Sunday and pledged to continue closer coordination on defense spending to increase efficiency and strengthen collective security. Carney said that joint procurement of defense equipment would provide better value for taxpayers and improve public safety.
