BERLIN, July 6 (Xinhua) -- The German government hopes to significantly deepen defense cooperation with Canada by finalizing a submarine deal around the upcoming NATO summit, the German Press Agency (dpa) reported on Monday, citing German government sources.
"If we succeed, it will tie Canada to us for decades," the sources said, one day before the two-day summit.
"That would be a very good starting point for strategic cooperation," they said, adding that it would be "a very positive signal" if such a decision were announced "in the context" of the NATO summit.
Canada is planning to purchase up to 12 submarines. German shipbuilder TKMS is competing with South Korea's Hanwha Ocean for the multibillion-dollar order, according to dpa.
Canadian daily The Globe and Mail reported on Monday, citing sources, that the Canadian government was set to award the contract to Germany. However, there was no official confirmation.
The NATO summit is scheduled to begin on Tuesday in Ankara, Türkiye. ■