This week, Prime Minister Mark Carney and his British counterpart Keir Starmer recognized Palestinian statehood alongside other Western countries.AMBER BRACKEN/The Canadian Press
Prime Minister Mark Carney is heading to Britain, where he will meet counterpart Keir Starmer Friday during his second trip to the country since taking office.
Mr. Carney spent more than six and a half years as governor of the Bank of England and his wife, Diana Fox Carney, was born there.
The Prime Minister will be in Britain while the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup final takes place Saturday between England and Canada, in the London suburb of Twickenham.
It’s an open question as to whether Mr. Carney will be able to attend given his other obligations.
Mr. Carney and Mr. Starmer joined forces to recognize Palestinian statehood this week with other Western countries. And Canada and Britain have agreed to ramp up defence-industrial co-operation as part of both countries’ June commitment to raise military spending to the equivalent of 5 per cent of Gross Domestic Product.
They will meet Friday on the margins of the left-leaning Global Progress Action Summit in London. It’s an event held by several groups, including the Center for American Progress, which has had influential ties to past Democratic administrations, with notable involvement in shaping policy during the Obama and Biden presidencies.
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At the summit, Mr. Carney will also meet Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as well as leaders of Iceland, Spain and Denmark, the Canadian Prime Minister’s Office said, to “deepen trade ties and advance collaborative action on critical global issues – including lasting peace in Europe and the Middle East.”
It’s likely that the future of Ukraine and recent Russian aggression in Europe – incursions by Moscow’s drones in multiple NATO countries and even fighter jets into Estonian airspace − will also be on the agenda given recent discussions among Western allies.
In addition, Mr. Carney will meet business leaders and institutional investors “to focus on new economic opportunities and markets for Canadian workers and businesses,” the PMO said.
Mr. Carney will return to Canada Sunday afternoon, his office said.