Mark Carney will travel to Norway and then to the United Kingdom as part of a diplomatic itinerary that includes observing NATO training in Arctic conditions, according to an announcement from his office. The Canadian prime minister is set to visit Norway on Friday, where he plans to observe a Norwegian-led NATO exercise before continuing on to meetings in Oslo and later London.
Carney’s office said he will watch the Norwegian-led NATO Cold Response exercise, a drill NATO runs every two years. The exercise is designed to bring together troops from multiple countries to train for land, air and sea operations in Arctic conditions, the statement said.
The announcement said Cold Response involves about 25,000 troops from 14 nations. Carney’s office also listed Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Sweden and Finland among the countries taking part.
In remarks attributed to Carney, his office said the prime minister told reporters that “Canada is, and forever will be, an Arctic nation” and said he is deepening defense collaboration with Arctic partners in response to “new threats.” The statement said the goal is to create “a stronger, more prosperous, and more secure world for Canada” and for other countries.
While in Oslo, Carney is expected to meet Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. The meeting agenda, according to the office, includes discussion of trade, investment, clean energy, critical minerals and the aerospace sector.
Carney’s Norway schedule also includes attendance at the Canada-Nordic Summit, where he is expected to meet Nordic leaders and talk about ways to enhance geopolitical cooperation, his office said. The announcement also said the prime minister plans to stop in London before returning to Canada.
In London, Carney is expected to meet with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer to discuss defense and the war in the Middle East, the office said.