Trudeau, Biden to hold bilateral talks ahead of North American summit

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and US President Joe Biden will hold bilateral meetings ahead of the start of the North American leaders’ meeting in Mexico City next week.

The prime minister’s office confirmed to CBC News on Friday that the two are set to meet on January 10. Canada’s ambassador to the US told CBC News on Monday that he expects the two leaders to discuss what they would like to see from the North American official. meetings.

Kirsten Hillman said the two would also address a long list of bilateral issues, including supply chain issues and economic cooperation, as well as foreign policy issues like the war in Ukraine, Canada’s recently released Indo-Pacific strategy and the Arctic. .

“The prime minister is very focused on the joint economy and strengthening the supply chain. We’ve had record growth in intra-North American trade last year, and so he wants to make sure that the discussion is focused on how to not only understand but continue that trend,” Hillman said in an interview. with CBC Radio House which aired on Saturday.

Trudeau is also expected to meet with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador next Wednesday.

North American leaders will meet in the Mexican capital next week to discuss issues such as climate change and supply chain disruptions. It will be the first direct meeting of the three leaders since 2021 and will feature a mix of official discussions and other meetings, according to the Mexican government.

Canadian officials have said they expect a wide range of economic and global issues in their one-on-one meetings with Biden, and Ukraine will be on the list of topics to be discussed.

Three masked men walk together down the hall
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, US President Joe Biden, and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador meet at the North American Leaders Summit (NALS) at the White House in Washington, US November 18, 2021. REUTERS/ (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

The meeting took place quietly in Canada-U.S. affairs. A number of major bilateral irritants that have recently been resolved are being resolved or are pending.

Disputes over electric vehicles have been resolved, disputes over reliable travel programs may be easing and long-term tensions over the Line 5 oil pipeline are before the courts.

Hillman pushed back Friday against suggestions that the landmark Inflation Reduction Act, which includes major investments in green energy, could siphon off investment from similar projects in Canada.

“I have heard the line of analysis as well and I do not agree. I think that investing in the development of green technology and the application of green technology in the United States or anywhere is important and important,” said Hillman, stating that some American funds are also open to companies Canada.

Instead of focusing on Canada-US relations, the summit will be dominated by serious security issues between the US and Mexico.

This includes violence and corruption related to drug cartels and the reported breakdown in US-Mexico cooperation on the issue.

The flow of migrants into the US will also be highlighted this weekend when Biden makes his first trip to the Mexican border as president.

The president this week announced a series of new migration control measures in the face of domestic criticism of his actions so far.

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