During Prime Minister Carney’s visit to Sydney and Canberra, Australia, from March 3 to 6, 2026, the two countries also:

Research and innovation collaboration

• Strengthened collaboration between their research funding councils to support joint projects in strategic sectors such as advanced technologies, clean growth, and Indigenous-led research initiatives, with a focus on accelerating commercialisation pathways and talent mobility between the two countries.

Defence, security, and emergency preparedness cooperation

• Agreed to enhance liaison coordination between the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Australian Federal Police to strengthen joint efforts against criminal networks and other emerging threats, building on the RCMP’s expanded presence in Sydney under Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy and the Australian Federal Police’s recent establishment of a liaison officer in Ottawa.
• Welcomed the upcoming entry into force of a Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement between the Canada Border Services Agency and the Australian Border Force to share customs information and coordinate more effectively to prevent and investigate customs violations, smuggling, and trade-related crimes. This agreement will also contribute to securing the international trade supply chain and protecting communities in both countries.
• Committed to increased collaboration across digital infrastructure, semiconductor and electronics manufacturing, high-performance computing, Internet of Things, cybersecurity, and startup ecosystems.
• Welcomed the signing of a Joint Declaration of Intent between Public Safety Canada and Australia’s National Emergency Management Agency to elevate cooperation on emergency management and disaster risk reduction. This includes collaboration on training, capability development, information exchanges, procurement mechanisms, and innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence.

Critical minerals, energy, environmental, and agricultural collaboration

• Agreed to develop a work plan to advance the commitments made in the Joint Declaration of Intent between Canada and Australia on Critical Minerals Cooperation, with a focus on project financing, joint technology development and deployment, and collaboration on supply chain resilience and strategic reserves. The work plan will be launched later this year.
• Opened collaboration between Canada’s soon-to-be-launched Critical Minerals Sovereign Fund and Australia’s Critical Minerals Strategic Reserve to give our respective countries a greater ability to secure the supply chains that are essential to our defence and security.
• Welcomed Australia to the Critical Minerals Production Alliance and announced the appointment of Geoff Mason as Australia’s Special Envoy to the Alliance. The Special Envoy will help mobilise joint support for strategic critical minerals projects and high-production standards.
• Announced the development of a Canada-Australia Mining Skills Exchange Pilot – in collaboration with industry stakeholders, academic institutions, and government partners across Canada and Australia – to address skills and labour shortages that are key to expanding critical minerals production. Through enhanced collaboration between industry, academia, and government in both countries, this initiative supports skills development, knowledge transfer, and workforce capacity-building in priority areas, including critical minerals, digital mining, safety, and sustainability.
• Advanced our collaboration on polar issues through an Annual Polar Dialogue as well as the launch of a Canada-Australia Polar Environmental Monitoring Partnership, reflecting our shared commitment to peace and cooperation in the polar regions, including through supporting the Antarctic Treaty System and conducting polar research to address global issues such as climate change in the lead-up to International Polar Year (2032-33).
• Reaffirmed their long-standing wildfire cooperation arrangement, which enables the sharing of personnel and expertise during severe wildfire seasons and supports broader collaboration on integrated wildfire management. Since 2023, Australia has sent over 1,200 fire personnel to Canada. In January 2026, 74 Canadian personnel from British Columbia and Alberta were deployed to assist with Australia’s current fire season.
• Committed to increasing cooperation between regulators to ensure access to safe, effective agricultural inputs – such as feeds, fertilisers, crop protection products, and pest control technologies – in both countries. Canada and Australia will also collaborate on environmental, health, and safety assessments, which will streamline approvals, strengthen trade, and support economic growth and food security while safeguarding people, animals, and the environment.