Canada

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Canada and Sweden announced a strategic partnership to deepen cooperation on defense and trade, as the North American nation looks to reduce its dependence on the US for military equipment and as an export market.

The countries made the announcement Tuesday during a rare visit of Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia to Ottawa. The agreement pledges to increase cooperation in five main areas: economic development, security, the Arctic, science and technology, and the environment.

“We are like-minded Arctic nations with shared interests in the North Atlantic and the Arctic region,” the countries said in a joint statement.

The partnership comes as Sweden’s Saab AB is in talks with Quebec-based Bombardier Inc. about building its Gripen fighter jets in Canada.

The companies already work together on GlobalEye early warning surveillance aircraft, which are assembled in Canada before being shipped to Sweden for installation of radar and sensors.

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