09/16/26 12:15:00
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09/16 12:14 CDT Canada's Carney and Britain's Burnham take first meeting to
Everton football match
Canada's Carney and Britain's Burnham take first meeting to Everton football
match
By ROB GILLIES
Associated Press
MANCHESTER, England (AP) --- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will meet his
new British counterpart, Andy Burnham, for the first time Wednesday at the home
of the soccer club they both support --- before watching Everton play together.
Carney and Burnham will hold bilateral talks at Everton's Hill Dickinson
Stadium in Liverpool before watching the club face Wolverhampton in the third
round of the Carabao Cup.
The setting adds a personal element to their first face-to-face meeting.
Burnham is a lifelong Everton supporter and season-ticket holder, while Carney
has said cousins in Liverpool led him to support the club. Carney attended
Everton matches while living in Britain during his seven years as governor of
the Bank of England.
When the two leaders spoke shortly after Burnham became prime minister in July,
Burnham promised to "roll out the blue carpet" for his fellow Everton supporter.
Downing Street said Burnham canceled all public engagements Monday and Tuesday
following the death of his father, who was 86 and had Alzheimer's disease.
A senior Canadian government official said Carney and Burnham are expected to
discuss a Canadian-backed proposal to combine competing plans for an
international defense bank that could help NATO allies finance increased
military spending and defense production.
Canada has championed the proposed Defense, Security and Resilience Bank, while
Britain has pursued a separate multilateral defense financing initiative. The
official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized
to discuss the meeting publicly, said Ottawa believes the proposals could be
brought together.
The leaders are also expected to discuss a potentially expanded Canadian role
in the British-led Joint Expeditionary Force, as well as cooperation on drones,
artificial intelligence, satellite communications, critical minerals and
quantum technology.
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