Biden, Trudeau Hold Online Talks as U.S.-Canada Tensions Linger
President Joe Biden met virtually with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday, in what the White House is billing as the first formal bilateral meeting of Biden’s presidency.
“The United States has no closer friend — no closer friend than Canada,” Biden said at the White House. “As the leaders of major democracies, we have the responsibly to prove that democracy can still deliver for our people.”
Trudeau called the talks “a great opportunity” and said topics of discussion would include recovering from the coronavirus pandemic and creating jobs.
Tuesday’s meeting is intended by the U.S. as a coronavirus-era replacement for the tradition of a new president taking his first foreign trip to Canada. The talks provide an opportunity for the leaders to repair relations strained by the Trump administration’s hard-line approach to trade negotiations and Biden’s decision to cancel a permit for TC Energy Corp.’s Keystone XL oil pipeline linking oil-rich Alberta to Nebraska.
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Following a smaller meeting with the leaders and their foreign policy teams, Trudeau and Biden will participate in a larger virtual gathering featuring additional members of their respective Cabinets. Once that discussion concludes, the leaders are expected to deliver a joint statement to the media.
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