Prime Minister Mark Carney and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz held discussions on August 24, 2026, to deepen bilateral cooperation across defence, security, energy, and artificial intelligence.

The leaders reaffirmed their support for Ukraine and the need to maintain pressure on Russia to achieve a just and lasting peace. This dialogue followed their participation in the Coalition of the Willing meeting earlier that day.

Strategic Partnership Progress

The two nations have strengthened ties over the past year through several key initiatives:

• Signed agreements on AI, quantum, and battery technologies
• Launched the Sovereign Technology Alliance
• Secured more than six new critical minerals partnerships

Last month, Carney and Merz initiated negotiations for a Canada-Germany Strategic Partnership Agreement. This framework aims to advance cooperation on security, defence, emerging technologies, supply chains, raw materials, energy, and space.

What the Numbers Show

The expansion of critical minerals partnerships to more than six indicates a focused effort to diversify supply chains. This aligns with the broader strategic goal of securing raw materials alongside technological collaboration in AI and quantum sectors.

Prime Minister Carney and Chancellor Merz agreed to cooperate closely on critical minerals supply chains to address shared challenges in raw materials availability for both Canada and Germany. The leaders emphasized the necessity for industry to diversify raw materials supply chains, aiming to enhance resiliency and security. This collaboration is intended to lead to capital investments by the end of 2026.

The agreement builds upon the Joint Declaration of Intent announced in August 2025, which has already facilitated deeper integration between the two nations. Recent initiatives under this declaration include a Canadian business mission to Munich and a high-level German critical minerals delegation to the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) annual convention. Additionally, a joint supply chain mapping initiative was launched to identify priority opportunities within the battery value chain.

Moving forward, the partnership will focus on enhancing cooperation regarding critical minerals stockpiling. The joint statement confirmed that both nations will work together to advance supply chain resiliency, with the specific goal of fostering capital investments within the specified timeframe.