Ottawa, CANADA – CCC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kuwait’s Ministry of Defence that establishes a government-to-government (G2G) framework to help Canadian companies support Kuwait’s defence and security modernization priorities. As part of the MoU, CCC will provide Kuwait access to a full range of proven Canadian capabilities.
“This MoU reflects the strong and growing relationship between Canada and Kuwait,” said Bobby Kwon, President and Chief Executive Officer of CCC. “By establishing a G2G framework for defence and security cooperation, CCC is creating new opportunities for Canadian exporters while supporting Kuwait’s efforts to access reliable, high-quality capabilities through the Government of Canada.”
The MoU was signed by Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anita Anand, on behalf of CCC, and Kuwait’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, on behalf of Kuwait’s Ministry of Defence, following high-level discussions between Canadian and Kuwaiti officials. CCC’s MoU reinforces Canada’s broader engagement in the Gulf region by establishing a trusted government-to-government procurement channel with Kuwait that can serve as a platform for expanding Canadian defence and security exports across the region.
Working on behalf of the Government of Canada, CCC provides foreign governments with streamlined access to qualified Canadian suppliers through G2G contracts signed in the name of the Government of Canada. Every G2G contract includes an assurance of contract performance backed by the Government of Canada, reducing risk for buyers and sellers – while ensuring transparency and accountability. To learn more about, contact CCC.
About CCC
CCC is Canada’s government-to-government (G2G) contracting agency. We help build successful commercial relationships between Canadian businesses and governments around the world through our G2G contracting approach. We are also the U.S. Department of War’s designated contracting authority for procurements from Canada. To learn more about how we have facilitated billions in trade between Canadian businesses and governments around the world, visit ccc.ca.
Noah Note: A bit of respect to CCC, they are someone whom oftentimes gets lost in the general shuffle of discussion, not out of any sort of indifference I find but just because they often operate from an area outside many of the public eye.
They play a very important role in helping support Canada’s Defence Industrial Base abroad, are our lead on Ukraine, to which they have shown to be more than capable of supporting the facilitation of equipment abroad, and for many provided a stable basis for which to compare potential reforms. (a fair few have gone in to the current reforms we're seeing now)
I can't speak to what sort of ideas they have in Kuwait, nor what Kuwait might be interested in. Unfortunately, my connections to Kuwait are limited. However, building up our export potential in an area of increasingly dense competition and starting from a place where we are behind in several cases required us to look to non-traditional partners and ecosystems where our activity has been varied.
Canada has a long history of supporting Arms exports to the Middle East, don't get me wrong, but part of diversifying our Defence ecosystem will force us to look at regions with a more magnified look, in areas where we wouldn't have even two years ago. Kuwait, Vietnam, Indonesia, all are partners who we have had an existing but limited in all regards relationship that we are now trying to develop into a consistent, open partnership.
Some of those will work, some won't. Some will develop into larger Strategic Partnerships, as we see with Vietnam, and others will remain conditional and fledgling. The key though is to be active and out there, to hunt in areas we know we can be sucsessful in and not limit ourselves. We need to take some risks, per say, and move with aggression in others.
Whatever comes of this, I just hope it is something valuable and not just words.
Something I'd be interested in learning more about is how the feds determine which countries are acceptable for G2G agreements like this? Once granted, is there any limit on what is sold? Is each purchase still subject to political/diplomatic review, or is an open gate? I get that sales will largely rely on interest from the foreign government, but what permissions are implicit in this kind of agreement?