A Vancouver company has been sanctioned by the United States government for its alleged ties to a $100-million network accused of financing Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Seven Seas for International Trading and Logistics was added to the U.S. sanctions list in a move that targeted 16 individuals and entities in the Middle East and Canada.

The sanctions allege the co-founder and chief executive officer of the B.C. company is Raoof Fadel, who is based in Qatar and involved with the “Hezbollah finance team.”

Corporate records obtained by Global News show the sanctioned Canadian company was registered in B.C. in 2022 and remains active as 1380892 B.C. LTD.

Its directors are listed as Fadel, as well as Mohamad Wehbe and Ahmed Wehbe, all of whom are described in the records as residents of Qatar.

In addition to sanctioning their B.C. company, the U.S. Treasury also imposed sanctions on Fadel and Mohamad Wehbe, who are both Lebanese citizens.

They could not be reached for comment.

The company’s corporate registration was completed by a Winnipeg consulting firm, while its registered address is a Vancouver law firm, the records shows.

Neither responded to requests for comment by deadline.

The company is not sanctioned in Canada. Neither the B.C. nor the federal government have yet responded to requests for comment on the matter.

1:54
Deadly strikes on Lebanon intensify, Israel expands ground invasion

Hezbollah is part of Iran’s so-called “axis of resistance,” a collection of armed extremist groups that serve Tehran’s interests throughout the Middle East.

A listed terrorist group in Canada, which calls it a “radical Shia group,” Hezbollah is part of the current conflict launched by the U.S. and Israel on Feb. 28.

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Canada’s national security agencies have long reported that the international Hezbollah fundraising network was active in the country.

A 2022 Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada terrorist financing alert warned about Hezbollah’s activities.

It warned that, after the Islamic State, Hezbollah was the international terrorist group most frequently detected moving money across borders.

The bulk of the money went to Lebanon, often laundered through auto sales, FINTRAC wrote in its operational alert to financial institutions.

In January, Global News reported that a Lebanese auto trader living in Ontario on a work permit, Fahed Sowane, was allegedly laundering money “to benefit Hezbollah.”

While Sowane, who denies the allegations, faces deportation over the allegations, enforcement action related to Hezbollah is rare in Canada.
“Governments must do more to ensure that Canada is not used as a safe haven for Iran’s Islamic regime and its proxies that threaten global security and target civilians,” said Nico Slobinsky of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs.

“We are calling for strengthened enforcement measures, enhanced scrutiny and removal of regime‑linked actors operating in Canada, and firm action to disrupt any financial or logistical support for designated terrorist organizations.”

This includes implementing B.C. Premier David Eby’s recent commitment that the province will not be a refuge for war criminals and will ensure their prosecution and seizure of their funds.”

2:42
Iran vows major retaliation if Trump targets power plants

Amid the war on Iran, the U.S. announced on Friday that it was sanctioning the B.C. company for its alleged role in a network led by Alaa Hamieh, whom it called a “Hezbollah financier.”

Hamieh, who holds Lebanese and Canadian passports, “owns, directly or indirectly, multiple Hezbollah-associated companies,” the U.S. Treasury said.

“Alaa Hamieh oversees a network of companies, controlled through family members and close associates, that launder and raise funds for Hezbollah’s finance team.”

Located in Lebanon, Syria, Poland, Slovenia, Qatar, and Canada, the network has been involved in projects “estimated to have enabled the diversion of over $100 million since 2020,” it said.

“This network represents a critical source of funding for Hezbollah, which continues to embrace violence despite calls to disarm.”

The director of the B.C. company, Fadel, is “involved in numerous projects with Alaa Hamieh and the Hezbollah finance team,” according to the allegations.

They include “Hezbollah-associated Seven Seas for International Trading and Logistics, which is the Canadian branch of Alaa Hamieh’s similarly named Lebanese companies.”

The listing provides Hamieh’s Canadian passport number. Another Canadian passport holder, Usama Ali, allegedly runs the Hamas financing office.

Stewart.Bell@globalnews.ca

Two Canadians on a humanitarian mission in Cuba say it’s easier for locals to count the number of hours the lights are on than off.

And when electricity is flowing, Leanne Isaak says Cubans can be seen scrambling to get as many tasks done as they can, such as cooking, charging phones, showering and filling buckets with water.

“People say, ‘I may not get power again for three days so I’m going to do everything that I need to do in this one or two-hour time-frame to prepare for the next chunk of time when I’m just going to try to keep going,” said Isaak, the founder and a co-director of a non-profit called One Shared Future Un Futuro Compartido.

“In Spanish they say, ‘We don’t have blackouts, we have lights-on,’ because (they’re) more often in the dark than they have electricity,” added Elise Hjalmarson, also a co-director of the non-profit.

The women, who live in Kelowna, B.C., arrived in Cuba on Friday with 14 suitcases full of medicine, solar equipment, multivitamins, adult diapers, surgical gloves and menstrual products, among other goods.

In an interview from Havana on Saturday, they said they plan to find a driver with an electric car and, in partnership with Cuban-led groups, distribute the items across the island over several days. They also plan to buy rice and beans with cash donations for distribution.

“Some of this is going to hospitals, it’s going to women’s centres. We have a whole variety of places that we built connections with,” said Isaak, who also works at the University of British Columbia.

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Life on the Caribbean island has been rapidly deteriorating since the U.S. removed Venezuela’s leader in January, halting critical petroleum shipments from the nation that had been a steadfast ally to Havana. U.S. President Donald Trump has also threatened tariffs on any country selling or supplying Cuba with oil.

The island has since been relying on its own natural gas, solar power and oil to run thermoelectric plants, but that hasn’t been enough to meet demand.

2:04
U.S. ramps up pressure on Cuba as oil crisis deepens

Isaak and Hjalmarson said they experienced the dire situation as soon as they landed. There was a power outage at the airport. They heard a flicker and a generator, and the conveyor belt carrying their bags began moving minutes later.

“Then we had a power outage in the evening when we got to our Airbnb, and then we had another one in the morning, so you can see the frequency. This portion of the city, about a year ago, would maybe get less than a handful of power outages,” said Isaak, who has made nearly a dozen trips to Cuba for her charity work.

The women said they carried all 14 of their suitcases up several flights of stairs because an outage brought to a halt the elevator in the building where they’re staying.

Many of the nation’s 11 million residents are struggling to keep food from spoiling. Hospitals have cancelled surgeries. The leading university has reduced classes due to the power outages and transportation shutdowns.

Trump is demanding, in part, that Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel leave his position, release political prisoners and move toward political and economic liberalization in return for a lifting of sanctions.

After Cuba’s electric grid collapsed last week, spurring an island-wide blackout, Trump told reporters he believed he’d soon have “the honour of taking Cuba.”

Aid shipments are beginning to arrive and a Russian oil delivery is expected this month, but fuel shortages remain critical.

Isaak said the challenges she and Hjalmarson are facing don’t compare to those faced by Cubans.

“People are tired, they’re frustrated, they’re stressed. There’s so much uncertainty,” Isaak said. “A lot of them, when they describe how they’re feeling, they say they’re surviving.”

And Cubans are surviving by finding the joy in daily life, she said.

“We were walking around like two in the morning and people were out playing dominoes on the street. Music was happening, people were dancing,” Isaak said.

“Some Cubans hate the word resilient, but they are such an incredibly resilient people and they find joy in being with each other.”

The process of distributing items over the next several days feels daunting, Isaak added.

“But we’re excited to be here, and to get started.”

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Military experts have warned that Iran could soon have the capability to strike European capitals, after it launched long-range missiles at a key UK-US military base thousands of miles away.

Last night, Tehran launched two ballistic missiles towards the strategically important base on Diego Garcia, a jointly owned base in the Chagos Islands 2,360 miles from Iran.

Neither missile hit its target in the attack, which was condemned by the Ministry of defence as ‘reckless’ and a ‘threat to British interests and British allies’.

One is believed to have malfunctioned during flight, while the other was intercepted by an American warship before impact.

The attempted strike suggests advances in range that could eventually bring parts of Europe within reach.

The Daily Mail reported that Iran could have used intermediate range ballistic missiles or a space launch vehicle to boost range.

Steve Prest, a retired Royal Navy commodore, told the Daily Mail: ‘Ballistic missiles are space rockets. They launch, they go really high up and they come down really fast. If you’ve got a space program, you’ve got a ballistic missile program.’

The attack on Diego Garcia happened a week after Israeli forces carried out a strike on Iran’s primary space research facility in Tehran, amid concerns it was being used to develop technology capable of targeting satellites in orbit.

Foreign affairs analyst Nawaf Al-Thani said missile threat is ‘no longer confined to the Gulf, Israel or parts of South Asia’, and key European capitals such as Paris would be in the included range. London is in the ‘edge of vulnerability’.

He said in a post on X: ‘For years, the accepted ceiling was around 2,000 kilometres. A ballistic missile reaching Diego Garcia suggests something in the neighbourhood of 4,000 kilometres, which pushes it out of the medium-range category and into the intermediate-range class (IRBM). That is a strategic leap.

‘If confirmed, Diego Garcia was not just a target. It was a message.’

The strike comes just days after an Iranian missile hit a military base in the United Arab Emirates, which is home to US, UK and Australian troops.

Explosions were heard near the military base, which is used by Western nations as a transit hub within the region.

Meanwhile, Iran has said it will continue to stop shipping traffic from US and allied ships through the Strait of Hormuz, which is used to transport a fifth of the world’s oil supplies.

Brits were encouraged on Friday to work from home and use air fryers instead of ovens to lessen demand for energy.

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U.S. President Donald Trump says the United States is “getting very close” to meeting its military objectives in the Middle East, as tensions escalate over Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz.

In a post on TruthSocial, Trump outlined what he described as key goals of the U.S. military effort, including degrading Iran’s missile capabilities, dismantling its defence industry and preventing it from developing nuclear weapons.

“Never allowing Iran to get even close to nuclear capability,” Trump said, adding that the U.S. must remain ready to respond “quickly and powerfully” if needed.

He also said the United States may look to reduce its direct role in securing the Strait of Hormuz, suggesting other nations that rely on the waterway should take on more responsibility.

“The Hormuz Strait will have to be guarded and policed … by other nations who use it,” Trump said, adding the U.S. would assist if asked.

Trump’s comments come as Canada and more than 20 other countries issued a joint statement condemning Iran’s actions in the region.

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The statement condemns Iran of attacking unarmed commercial vessels, targeting civilian infrastructure including oil and gas facilities, and effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz.

Three Canadians recently made it back home following weeks stranded aboard a Quebec cargo ship in the narrow passage.

Leaders said such actions threaten global energy supplies and international security.

“Freedom of navigation is a fundamental principle of international law,” the statement said, calling on Iran to immediately halt attacks, including the use of drones, missiles and naval mines.

Countries also warned the disruption of shipping routes could have widespread global impacts, particularly for vulnerable populations.

The group said it is prepared to support efforts to ensure safe passage through the strait and stabilize global energy markets.

Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bennet said the Trump administration is taking steps to counter the economic impact of the conflict.

Bennet described Iran as a central actor in global terrorism and said the U.S. is accelerating its military and economic response.

He announced on social media that through  short-term authorization, they are allowing the sale of Iranian oil currently stranded at sea, aimed at increasing global supply.

“Today, the Department of the Treasury is issuing a narrowly tailored, short-term authorization permitting the sale of Iranian oil currently stranded at sea,” the post read.

The move is expected to release roughly 140 million barrels of oil into global markets, helping ease pressure on energy prices.

Bennet said the measure is limited to oil already in transit and does not allow new purchases or production, adding the U.S. will continue to restrict Iran’s access to financial systems.

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A Quebec-based shipping company says three maritime trainees who had been aboard its vessels in the Persian Gulf since late February have returned safely to the province.

In a release issued Friday, Desgagnés confirmed the trainees from the Institut maritime du Québec (IMQ) were on board the N/M Rosaire A. Desgagnés and N/M Miena Desgagnés and had been unable to leave the region since Feb. 28.

The company said it implemented a repatriation plan due to ongoing uncertainty around when security measures would allow the vessels to leave the Persian Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz.

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The Strait of Hormuz, the only maritime exit from the Persian Gulf, has been heavily impacted by escalating conflict in the region.

Recent fighting involving Iran, the United States and Israel has led to missile and drone attacks, heightened security risks and severe disruptions to commercial shipping in the narrow passage.

The situation has turned the area into what maritime groups describe as a high-risk zone, with ships facing threats ranging from attacks to navigation disruptions.

Desgagnés said the trainees were flown to Europe from Saudi Arabia, with support from local maritime agents and Saudi authorities, before continuing their journey back to Canada

The IMQ provided support services to the trainees and their families throughout the situation, including personalized psychosocial support.

The trainees had been on board the vessels as part of a sea training program required for their college diploma in navigation and a deck officer’s certificate from Transport Canada.

Desgagnés thanked the crews of both vessels, as well as local maritime agents and Saudi authorities, for their cooperation in ensuring the trainees’ safe return.

– With files from The Canadian Press

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The World Anti-Doping Agency has agreed to only use athletes’ highly sensitive personal information for “anti-doping purposes,” Canada’s privacy commissioner announced Tuesday, resolving a years-long investigation into the organization’s data sharing practices.

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada said in a statement that the World Anti-Doping Agency had committed to a series of measures that will help ensure international sport federations and anti-doping organizations do not use information collected from athletes for any other purpose.

“The World Anti-Doping Agency is entrusted with safeguarding the highly sensitive personal information of thousands of athletes from around the globe,” privacy commissioner Philippe Dufresne said.

“I welcome WADA’s commitment to take steps to help ensure that this information is only used for the purposes for which it was collected.”

The World Anti-Doping Agency told Global News in a statement that it was “pleased” to enter the compliance agreement and resolve the investigation.

“WADA takes the privacy of athletes’ data very seriously and has always maintained compliance with applicable privacy laws, including Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA),” a spokesperson said.

“WADA has not admitted to any contravention of privacy rules in Canada or elsewhere, but it is committed to working with regulators to address evolving privacy best practices.”

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Dufresne launched an investigation in November 2024 after receiving a complaint that alleged the World Anti-Doping Agency had disclosed biological sample information to international sporting federations, which was using the information to assess athletes’ sex-based eligibility without their knowledge or consent.

Such actions, if proven, would violate Canadian privacy law, which the Montreal-based agency became subject to in 2015.

The compliance agreement, which is signed by the agency’s director general and president, says the World Anti-Doping Agency has disputed the allegations as well as Dufresne’s jurisdiction over the investigation.

“WADA is prepared to enter into this agreement to resolve the commissioner’s investigation, but WADA does not admit any contravention” of PIPEDA, the agreement says.

1:55
World Anti-Doping Agency extends their stay in Montreal

The commitment comes shortly after the conclusion of the Winter Olympic Games in Italy but with the FIFA World Cup just three months away from kicking off in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.

Under the terms of the agreement, the agency will update the World Anti-Doping Code by Jan. 1, 2027, to specify that athlete information collected for its Anti-Doping Administration and Management System must only be used for anti-doping purposes.

It must communicate that statute to anti-doping organizations within one month of the signing of the agreement, and update the privacy commissioner on the mechanism it will use to ensure those organizations are compliant no later than six months after signing.

The World Anti-Doping Agency must submit quarterly reports to the privacy watchdog on its progress in implementing its remedial measures until they are fully in place.

Dufresne retains the right to apply for a court order forcing the agency to comply if he believes the measures set out in the agreement have not been completed.

“WADA’s decision to enter into this agreement does not constitute acceptance of the OPC’s jurisdiction over the matters addressed in this process, and WADA expressly reserves its rights in that regard,” the agency’s spokesperson told Global News.

“However, WADA is fully committed to satisfying all obligations within this compliance agreement.”

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Donald Trump has been accused of backtracking and contradicting his own statements regarding the war in Iran.

Speaking at a press conference later yesterday, Trump slammed the UK for its response to the war, calling it ‘very disappointing’.

Trump has also asked France, China, Japan, South Korea and Britain to help secure the Strait of Hormuz.

But the President’s own remarks have seemed to contradict himself, telling reporters: ‘Really, I’m demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory – because it is their territory.’

Less than an hour later, he said: ‘They should come, and they should help us protect it. You could make the case that maybe we shouldn’t even be there at all, because we don’t need it.

‘We have a lot of oil. We’re the number one producer anywhere in the world times two.’

Seemingly referencing NATO, Trump added, ‘If we need help, they won’t be there for us. I’ve known that for a long period of time.’

Again, moments later, he said: ‘We have some who are enthusiastic. They’re coming.’

Speaking to reporters, Trump also said ‘we want them to come and help us with the Strait (of Hormuz)’.

Later, he clarified: ‘My attitude is we don’t need anybody. We have the strongest nation in the world. We have the strongest military by far – we don’t need them.’

Varying lengths of the Iran War

At the beginning of the war, Trump said he thought the strikes in Iran would be ‘four weeks or so’.

Days later, he said the war was ‘very complete, pretty much’ – before, on the same day, saying the war wouldn’t end that week, but would ‘very soon’.

On why the US attacked Iran

In an address made shortly after attacks began, Trump said: ‘Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime.

‘They can never have a nuclear weapon. That is why in Operation Midnight Hammer last June, we obliterated the regime’s nuclear program — at Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan — after that attack, we warned them never to resume their malicious pursuit of nuclear weapons.’

Days later, Trump said he ‘knew Iran was going to attack’, claiming that if the US didn’t fight, Iran would attack first.

The strike at an Iranian girl’s school

After a strike on an Iranian school killed 175 children in late February, there was confusion as to whether Iran, the US or Israel was behind it.

US Central Command has acknowledged using Tomahawk missiles in this war and even released a photo of the USS Spruance, part of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier group located within range of the school, firing a Tomahawk missile on February 28.

When asked by a reporter whether the US was responsible for the blast, which killed mostly children, Trump responded, without providing evidence: ‘No, in my opinion, based on what I’ve seen, that was done by Iran.’

He added: ‘I will certainly, whatever the report shows, be willing to live with that report.’

After a report found that the US struck the school, Trump said: ‘I don’t know about it.’

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Iran’s missing-in-action Supreme Leader has been tracked down by Israel, a security official has claimed.

Mojtaba Khamenei hasn’t been seen since he took over as leader after US-Israeli strikes killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on February 28.

Khamenei issued a defiant statement carried by state-controlled media on Thursday, vowing to avenge the deaths of Iranians.

Yet he has still not appeared on video or in public – Tehran officials said Khamenei’s legs were hurt in a strike on Thursday.

US President Donald Trump suggested that Khamenei is dead during an interview with NBC News over the weekend.

‘So far, nobody’s been able to show him,’ he told the American broadcaster.

Yet an Israeli official told the Daily Mail yesterday: ‘We know where he is.’

They cautioned against reading Iranian news channels amid reports that Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu has died of a heart attack.

Experts have also cast doubt on the new Ayotollah’s statement, suggesting Iranian figures may have delivered them in his name. Rumours have even swirled that the leader has flown to Russia.

Iran has dismissed these claims, saying that Khamenei is sheltering at a highly secure location with limited communication.

Revealing his location would put him in danger, with Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi saying he is in ‘good health’ yesterday.

He added to The New Arab: ‘The timing of televised messages or direct appearances before the people is his prerogative.’

Khamenei was appointed leader earlier this month by the Assembly of Experts, a group of 88 senior clerics

Reports initially said Khamenei had died in US-Israeli strikes on Tehran – he survived but his parents and wife were killed.

At his inauguration, a cardboard cutout with his image was used.

The American-Israeli air war against Iran, now in its third week, has so far killed more than 2,000 people, mainly Iranian and Lebanese civilians.

With few signs that the conflict will be over anytime soon, oil prices have surged as ships cannot pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a channel in the Persian Gulf that carries a fifth of the world’s oil.

Prices at the pump have become so eye-watering that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced £53,000,000 in support for some households.

Cyprus has been pounded by drones, striking a British air base, with European leaders sending warships to the country.

Gulf nations have been dragged into the war, with Iran launching attacks against Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

Restaurants and universities across South Asia, especially in India and Bangladesh, meanwhile, have closed to conserve fuel.

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Iran’s new supreme leader nearly killed in a US airstrike, was allegedly flown to Russia for life-saving leg surgery.

Despite US reports that he is was killed in the strike, Mojtaba Khamenei recently issued a blood-thirsty statement demanding revenge on the US and its allies.

Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida reported that the son of the slaughtered Ayatollah had been snuck out of Iran for a top secret surgery.

The paper said that the evacuation took place under the strictest secrecy, and that the new Iranian leader was flown to Moscow on a Russian military aircraft.

Khamenei then allegedly received a ‘successful’ operation in one of Vladimir Putin’s presidential palaces.

Al-Jarida said its unverified information came from a ‘high-ranking source close to the new Iranian Supreme Leader’.

Iran has said the new Ayatollah is alive after Donald Trump suggested he heard the newly chosen supreme leader was ‘not’.

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi wrote: ‘The leader of the revolution is in good health and is fully managing the situation.’

Mojtaba Khamenei was selected to replace his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in the top role last week after the US and Israel carried out a targeted assassination at the beginning of the war.

But he has still not made a public appearance, and did not appear on camera to issue his first message of vengeance on Thursday.

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The prime ministers of Canada and Nordic countries have agreed to continue working to deepen economic ties as technology and international trade are increasingly used as a “coercive tool,” they said in a joint statement.

Prime Minister Mark Carney is concluding his time in Norway meeting with that country’s prime minister, along with the leaders of Denmark, Iceland, Sweden and Finland.

“At a time characterized by heightened geopolitical tension, war and a multitude of crises, we are united in the view that international co-operation, based on international law, shared values and interests, remains the best way to strengthen our common security and prosperity,” reads a joint statement from the leaders after the meeting.

The leaders discussed the need to expand trade and investment ties, as like-minded countries have been upended in recent years in part due to U.S. tariffs and threats to annex Greenland.

Greenland is a self-governing Danish territory.

During a press conference after the meeting, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the old world order is gone and likely not coming back.

“So, we have to build something new and it has to be a world order that is built on the values that we represent,” Frederiksen said.

When asked if the leaders believe threats to Greenland’s sovereignty are over, Carney said Canada and the Nordic nations can work to defend their sovereignty by working together on shared defence, especially in the Arctic, and by deepening economic collaboration

Frederiksen did not respond to that question.

The leaders were asked if they were prepared to stand up to defend Greenland and Denmark if another NATO ally tried to seize the territory — a reference to U.S. statements on the need to take over the island for national security purposes.

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Carney said territorial sovereignty must be upheld and the future of Greenland is up to its people and Denmark.

“We will back that with measures as necessary, as a partner,” Carney said.

“The European Union, and others, have been clear about these fundamental principles and the principle of solidarity has helped to create the space which always should have been there, to be clear, to develop a better security umbrella in the Arctic … So, we’re clear on where we stand and we will continue to stand with Denmark and Greenland.”

U.S. President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte agreed to a framework for a future deal on Arctic security in January.

Trump has said that it would allow “total access” to Greenland. NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said Rutte did not propose any “compromise to sovereignty” in discussions with Trump.

The leaders of both Denmark and Greenland have said that the island’s sovereignty is non-negotiable.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store and the other leaders said they also stand with Greenland.

1:23
Carney says Canada ‘fully prepared’ to defend the Arctic in response to Greenland question

“It is for basic principles of international law, national sovereignty and territorial integrity, which is not simply language in schoolbooks. This is hardcore realities for how we preserve freedom, democracy,” Store said.

These hardcore realities include increasing military threats in the Arctic. Carney said that Russia presents the biggest physical security threat, but there are more “layered” threats.

NATO is currently operating its biennial Cold Response training exercises, where 32,000 troops from 14 nations, including the U.S., are conducting a host of military exercises in northern Norway and Finland.

“We need to understand that Russia is our biggest threat, and it will remain a threat for Nordic, Arctic countries. And that’s why we have to go forward to strengthen Arctic security together,” Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said.

Carney was asked about the status of a joint German-Norwegian bid to supply Canada with submarines, along with the possibility of purchasing Swedish Saab fighter jets, and if that was discussed during the meeting.

Carney said the submarine bids — Korean-based Hanwha is the other competitor — are currently being reviewed and he stressed it is an independent process that he will not get involved in.

Store said he respects the Canadian procurement process.

The joint statement from the six leaders shares a commitment to continue working on Arctic security, deepening trade and investment ties, plus building “prosperous and green economies.”

Before the meeting with Nordic leaders, Carney met with Norway’s finance minister and the CEO of Norges Bank.

Carney is set to leave Norway on Sunday for London, where he is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday.

It will be the seventh meeting between the two leaders in just over a year.

Carney is also scheduled to meet with King Charles.

After that, the prime minister will remain in Europe on vacation while the rest of the delegation heads back to Canada on Monday. He stressed Thursday that he will remain in close contact with staff throughout his time off.

—with files from The Associated Press

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