Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be in Washington Monday for his first face to face meeting with the new U.S. President, Donald Trump, it was confirmed today.
“Strong Canada-U.S. ties help the middle class in both our countries”
“Strong Canada-U.S. ties help the middle class in both our countries”, the Prime Minister tweeted this afternoon.
In his fourth week of office, the President, who had made efforts to assuage Canada’s fears of a trade war, will receive Trudeau at the White House for a short meeting, sources say.
But there are looming trade issues between the two countries, such as the ongoing softwood lumber dispute.
Canadian cabinet ministers have been paving the way for the visit. Finance Minister Bill Morneau is in Washington today talking to officials.
Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland visited yesterday meeting with her counterpart, Rex Tillerson.
When she met with speaker Paul Ryan, she reminding him that his congressional district sends $1 billion dollars (US) worth of goods to Canada each year..
And in her meeting with Senator McCain, she reminded him of the importance of Canada’s million visitors to his state of Arizona, during the winter.
Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan met U.S. Secretary of Defence James Mattis at the Pentagon on Monday.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Trudeau is in northern Canada today. In Nunavut, where it is minus 39 C with the wind chill, he is settling the newly signed health accord with that territory.
Trudeau will meet with Nunavut Premier Peter Taptuna this afternoon. It is the Prime Minister’s first visit to the north since the election in 2015.
Tomorrow he will visit Yellowknife in the North West Territories.
Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett, Health Minister Jane Philpott and Social Development Minister Jean-Yves Duclos are accompanying the PM.
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