(Reuters) -Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is secretly holding direct talks with U.S. President Donald Trump to work out a framework for a trade and security agreement, the Globe and Mail reported on Thursday.
The talks between the leaders and top cabinet ministers are being held discreetly to ensure a positive outcome, the report said, citing the U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra.
The talks include Canadian Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, the newspaper said, adding that a deal could be reached before September.
"The indications that they are talking and in communications regularly is a clear indicator to me that both sides recognize the importance and the urgency of moving this forward," Hoekstra told the Globe and Mail.
Carney's office declined to comment and the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.
(Reporting by Anusha Shah in Bengaluru; Editing by Nia Williams)
