WASHINGTON (US) – On Tuesday, President Joe Biden will hold his first bilateral meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, which both countries said would bolster their deep and strong relations.
Because of the pandemic, the meeting will be a virtual event and it will elevate collaboration on shared concerns at a time when the ties between the close allies have been strained by Biden’s decision to block the Canada-supported Keystone XL pipeline.
The White House said in a statement on Saturday that Biden and his Cabinet will hold virtual meetings with Canadian ministers on a host of bilateral and international issues.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said it would be “an opportunity for the two leaders to review joint efforts in areas of mutual interest such as the COVID-19 response, climate change, and the economic ties that bind our countries, as well as the deep people-to-people bonds we share.
“The President will highlight the strong and deep partnership between the United States and Canada as neighbors, friends and NATO Allies,” she said.
Trudeau said the US-Canada relationship “one of the strongest and deepest friendships between any two countries.”
“It is built on common values, strong ties between our people, and a shared geography … We will work together to end the COVID-19 pandemic and support people in both our countries,” he said in a statement.
He was one of the first global leaders to congratulate Biden when he was declared the winner and that illustrates the extent to which Canada wants to turn the page on the Donald Trump era.
Biden tweeted that he looked forward to “renewing the strong friendship between the United States and Canada and working to tackle the shared challenges we face.”