Ottawa, Sept. 11 (SANA) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney signed a declaration establishing a 100-year partnership between their countries, alongside agreements to expand cooperation in defense, energy and drone production.
The agreements followed talks in Ottawa on Thursday focused on developments in Ukraine, strengthening the country’s air defenses and expanding its military capabilities, Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform reported.
Zelenskyy said Canada plans to provide Ukraine with a new defense aid package worth more than $1 billion, while the overall value of agreements reached between the two countries exceeds $2 billion.
The defense package is focused primarily on strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses and includes air-defense systems, Patriot missiles and ammunition for F-16 fighter jets, as well as cooperation on the joint production of drones, according to Zelenskyy.
Carney said at a joint news conference that Canada would allocate one-third of its drone production to supporting Ukraine’s defense.
Canada to join FREYJA program
Zelenskyy also said Canada would join the FREYJA program to develop an anti-ballistic missile system, with the first batch expected to be ready by the end of the year.
FREYJA is being developed by Ukraine in cooperation with European partners and defense company Fire Point, with the aim of producing a lower-cost, scalable alternative to U.S.-made Patriot systems for intercepting ballistic missiles.
Zelenskyy said Ukrainian and Canadian companies had also reached financial agreements in the energy sector, while Canada would support Ukrainian veterans through the establishment of a dedicated fund.
Long-term partnership
The 100-year partnership declaration is aimed at deepening political, economic and security ties between Canada and Ukraine and supporting peace in Ukraine.
The two countries also signed a separate declaration to strengthen defense and security cooperation, particularly in drone technology.
The agreements come as Ukraine seeks to bolster its air defenses amid intensified Russian air attacks and shortages of interceptor missiles.
On July 10, Zelenskyy said Ukraine had reached a political-level agreement with the United States on securing licenses for the domestic production of PAC-3 Patriot interceptor missiles.
T.S /ABD
