ISTANBUL

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney landed in Australia on Tuesday as Ottawa seeks to expand collaboration in trade and defense, in addition to build on intelligence ties, Canadian and Australian media reported.

After arriving in Sydney, Carney is set to head to the capital Canberra on Thursday to address the Australian Parliament and meet Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, public outlet the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

Both countries are Commonwealth nations and partners in the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance, along with the US, UK, and New Zealand.

"This is a very important relationship for Canada to continue to build on. It is one that’s predicated on years of cooperation,” said Defense Minister David McGuinty, who is in Sydney with Carney, according to Canadian CTV News.

Canada, McGuinty said, is building on the relationship with Australia on a "deeper" economic connection and defense and security.

Ottawa and Canberra signed an agreement last year for Canada to buy an over-the-horizon radar system from Australia for use in the Arctic.

Australia was among the countries Canada pointed to last month in a strategy for strengthening its defense.

Carney's visit comes as he leads a push to get the European Union to join some form of partnership with a massive Pacific Rim trade bloc that includes Australia.

He will leave for Tokyo on Thursday as part of his multi-leg trip across the Asia-Pacific region, which also took him to India, where he signed trade deals and worked to reset relations ⁠with New Delhi.

Canada and Australia established formal diplomatic relations in 1939.

The countries’ bilateral trade volume in 2024 totaled $6.1 billion, and Canada’s direct investment in Australia the same year amounted to $58.8 billion.