Ottawa, July 1 -- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will travel to Turkiye next week to attend the 2026 NATO Summit before making the first visit by a Canadian prime minister to Saudi Arabia in 26 years, the Prime Minister's Office announced on Tuesday.

The visit, scheduled for July 6-10, comes as Canada ramps up defence spending and pursues new international partnerships amid evolving global security challenges.

The government said Canada has reached NATO's 2% defence spending target for the first time since the end of the Cold War and is on track to meet the alliance's new 5% target by 2035.

Carney will then travel to Saudi Arabia from July 8 to 10 for talks with Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, marking the firs...