Canada and Ukraine have signed an information security agreement to enhance their military partnership and interoperability.
Revealed at a NATO foreign affairs meeting in Brussels, the collaboration will bolster the protection of sensitive information related to national defense and industrial security between the governments while “expanding opportunities” for their respective economies.
Ottawa noted that the bilateral cooperation establishes “mutual rights and obligations” concerning classified information, sensitive government procurement, and related assets.
It also enables security-screened suppliers to access classified data and necessary capabilities to pursue bids on procurements and facilitate business opportunities between the consortium members.
“The protection of sensitive information, along with increasing economic prosperity, are critical priorities for the Government of Canada throughout all of its international operations,” Canadian Public Services and Procurement Minister Jean-Yves Duclos stated.
“Signing this agreement ensures that Canada will maintain the highest standards of security to protect sensitive Government of Canada information, while also increasing information sharing and collaboration between Canada and Ukraine.”
Reaffirming Partnership
Canada emphasized that the latest agreement with Kyiv highlights the “importance of democracy” and restates its commitment to supporting the European nation’s “sovereignty and territorial integrity” against Russia’s claims and “vision for its own recovery.”
The signing now counts as the North American government’s 27th bilateral security cooperation with Kyiv since Russia advanced to Ukraine in 2022.
“Canada’s relationship with Ukraine is steadfast, and is rooted in deep political, commercial and people-to-people ties that have been strengthened over generations,” Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly explained.
“In the face of rapidly evolving global challenges, the signing of this agreement reaffirms that Ukraine is a strong and trusted partner to Canada and indicates that both countries will continue to work together to create a more secure future for their citizens.”
Cybersecurity Support for Ukraine
The agreement follows Canada’s pledge of a military aid package to Ukraine last October in support of Kyiv’s defense against Russia’s aggression, part of which will be set aside for cyber capabilities.
In 2023, Ottawa announced cybersecurity assistance for Ukraine and neighboring Latvia in response to Moscow’s invasion, with the primary goal of notifying Ukrainian authorities of malicious digital activities targeting Ukraine’s national infrastructure and “vulnerabilities on their network infrastructure to prevent hostile activity.”
