The British government announced that it had signed a £400 million ($543 million) contract with Google Cloud as part of a partnership to share classified information with the United States, days before President Donald Trump's visit.

The deal "will strengthen secure communications links between the UK and the US, in addition to the extensive intelligence and security partnership that our two countries already share," the British Ministry of Defense said.

It said Google Cloud's latest technologies, including "artificial intelligence, data analytics, and cybersecurity," would be used by defense intelligence and national security specialists to enhance cooperation.

The ministry announced that Google Cloud will invest millions of pounds in the country, noting that the American tech giant will hire a team of UK specialists to manage the program, AFP reported.

Defense Minister John Healey said the technology "has strict controls for data sovereignty and security," ensuring that "critical data remains under the direct control of the United Kingdom."

Tara Brady, president of Google Cloud for the EMEA region, said the agreement will help the British government "develop a robust and sustainable infrastructure and take advantage of the latest technological innovations."

"This partnership will enable the Ministry of Defense to accelerate its digital modernization efforts while maintaining the highest level of security and data sovereignty," she added.

The announcement of the deal comes ahead of Trump's state visit to the United Kingdom next week. According to reports, several senior executives from American technology companies will accompany the US president. | BGNES