Carney and Meloni Unveil New Initiatives on AI, Clean Energy, Defence, and Trade Expansion

Kananaskis, Alberta ( Rajeev Sharma): On the sidelines of the G7 Summit, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reaffirmed the significance of the Canada–Italy partnership, underscoring their shared commitment to promoting global peace, the rule of law, economic prosperity, and the resilience of international institutions.
The meeting marked a significant moment in the implementation of the Italy–Canada Roadmap for Enhanced Collaboration, first introduced last year. The leaders reviewed achievements to date, including the establishment of a Joint Advisory Group on Artificial Intelligence, a Joint Statement on Critical Minerals, and growing cooperation across key sectors such as defence, outer space, science, and innovation.
In a major development, the leaders confirmed that a Canada & Italy Energy Dialogue will launch in the coming months. This initiative aims to boost bilateral collaboration on critical minerals, conventional and clean energy, and hydrogen technologies critical components of both nations’ green economic transitions.
Focus Areas for Enhanced Cooperation , Prosperity and Innovation, Building on the Canada–EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), both leaders pledged to deepen commercial ties and diversify trade. Plans include organizing high-level trade and investment missions to strengthen business engagement in sectors such as energy, life sciences, defence, and infrastructure.
Recognizing the momentum in academic and industrial cooperation, particularly in AI, quantum computing, clean tech, nuclear energy, and photonics, the Prime Ministers encouraged new collaborations in areas such as medical isotopes, supercomputing, and AI for health and science.
Security and Defence, as NATO allies, Canada and Italy committed to intensified collaboration, including intelligence sharing and high-level security dialogues. The leaders also noted increased opportunities for defence sector partnerships, aimed at strengthening each country’s industrial base and strategic capabilities.
In closing, Prime Ministers Carney and Meloni commended the continuity of shared priorities between their respective G7 presidencies and emphasized the need for close coordination on global challenges, particularly in the lead-up to the upcoming NATO Summit in The Hague.