OTTAWA: In his first meeting with a foreign leader as US president, Joe Biden spoke to his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau on Friday about a range of issues and plans to continue talks next month, Ottawa and Washington said in separate statements. Said
During Canada’s nearly 30-minute conversation, the two leaders covered everything from corona virus epidemics to environmental concerns to the closure of the US-Canada border.
In a similar call on Friday, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador confirmed on Twitter that he and Biden had discussed topics ranging from Cove 19 to migration. Trudeau and Biden intended to talk again soon, with the possibility of a virtual or private conversation with Canada opening up, while the White House simply said that “both leaders have agreed to talk again in a month.”
The Canadian statement said the discussions would “advance the important work of renewing a deep and lasting friendship between Canada and the United States.” Neither Washington nor Ottawa has confirmed an exact date.
According to the two countries, the leaders discussed the decision to revoke Biden’s license for the Keystone XL pipeline, which has been strongly opposed by environmentalists but in support of Ottawa, Biden on Wednesday Revoked license for line, which stopped completion. The project began almost a decade ago.
Trudeau had previously said it was “an important project for us”, citing continental energy security and jobs, and expressed frustration Friday over its cancellation. “The prime minister has deepened Canada’s frustration with the United States’ decision on the Keystone XL pipeline,” Trudeau’s office said in a statement, but added that the prime minister had ” He emphasized the importance of economic and energy security benefits. “
Beginning in 2023, the 1,210-mile (1,947-kilometer) pipeline was to carry up to 830,000 barrels of oil a day from Alberta’s oil sands to Nebraska and then through existing systems to refineries in coastal Texas.
Lopez Obrador of Mexico wrote on Twitter that his conversation with Biden had been “friendly and respectful.” “We talked about migration issues, # COVID19 and cooperation on development and well-being. Everything shows that relations will be better for the well-being of our peoples and nations.”
The three countries form the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which replaces the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and binds about half a billion consumers in the same market, which accounts for approximately global GDP. of 27%, in a region where trade hit tr 1.2 trillion in 2019 – even though it was preceded by the corona virus epidemic.
Earlier in the day, Trudeau said the new administration represents an opportunity to pave the way for a difficult relationship with Trump’s subordinate United States, which once called Trudeau “dishonest” and “polite.” ۔ “We are really ushering in a new era of friendship,” he said.
The White House said the pair’s phone call on Friday highlighted the “strategic importance of US-Canada relations” and “further strengthened our bilateral cooperation on a passionate and broader agenda.”
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