OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canada and the United States have concluded negotiations for an agreement that will allow the use of U.S. space launch technology, expertise and data for space launches in Canada, the Canadian foreign ministry said on Friday.

“The conclusion of negotiations between Canada and the United States means that we are one step closer to finalizing this agreement, which, when in force, will position our country to be a global leader in commercial space launch,” Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said in a statement.

The U.S. and Canada will now carry out a final review of the negotiated text and seek to obtain necessary domestic authorizations for the signing of the agreement, the foreign ministry said.

(Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Editing by Doina Chiacu)