Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Israel and Canada have signed an agreement that will further strengthen the ties between the two countries.

Daniel Carmon, head of Israel’s agency for international development, Mashav, and Julian Fantino, Canada’s International Co-operation Minister, met in Ottawa Tuesday to sign a pact that promises the two countries will work together on international development and aid projects, Canada’s Globe and Mail reports.

“We have obligations as developed countries … to not sit idle and see people in the developing world suffer or not get the education or the health or the most basic human rights and other rights that every human being should receive,” Carmon said.

Mr. Carmon said Israel “has a lot to contribute” to the world, but admitted that the country struggles to work through multilateral institutions like the United Nations, where he once served as a deputy ambassador for Israel.

“Israel has been maltreated in some multilateral fora,” he said. “Since it has been a very complicated arena for us, we have not been as active in this multilateral world for many years and we are sort of coming back to the stage in recent years. And we are very active and we are relying on our good friends.”

He said Israel is eager to share its expertise in research and innovation with the developing world, as well as its success in agriculture.

Earlier this year, Canada and Israel agreed to increase co-operation on agriculture, the Globe and Mail reports. They also have memorandums of understanding between their space agencies and on industrial research.