President Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are set to hold a joint press conference in Ottawa on Friday to mark Mr. Biden’s first trip to the country as president.
Trudeau welcomed Mr. Biden outside the Canadian Parliament in the capital, where the two leaders were set to hold a bilateral meeting before Mr. Biden addresses Canadian lawmakers. Following their press conference, Trudeau will host the president and first lady for a gala dinner.
In his remarks to the Canadian Parliament, the president “will underscore how the U.S.-Canada partnership benefits not only our two countries but the entire world, and that by working together, we can address some of the biggest challenges we face,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said earlier this week.
Canada is one of the United States’ closest allies, and the shared border makes the country a critical economic and trade partner. The two leaders are expected to announce a deal on migration that will allow both countries to turn away migrants apprehended between official points of entry along the U.S.-Canada border, a change that Canada has long sought.
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A 2004 agreement has allowed American and Canadian border officials to send some asylum-seekers across the border under the premise that both nations are safe countries where migrants can seek humanitarian refuge. But the agreement has only applied at official border crossings, meaning that American and Canadian authorities have been unable to turn away asylum-seekers who cross into each country illegally. Canada has been dealing with an influx of tens of thousands of asylum-seekers who have crossed into the country from the U.S. between official checkpoints.
National security issues are also likely to be a focus of the president’s visit. Canada, a NATO ally, has joined the U.S. and European allies in supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia and has welcomed Ukrainian refugees, provided humanitarian and military aide and issued targeted sanctions targeting the Kremlin.
Kirby said the two men will “talk about our two democracies stepping up to meet the challenges of our time,” including by “taking concrete steps to increase defense spending, driving a global race to the top on clean energy and building prosperous and inclusive economies.”
Intrusions into U.S. and Canadian airspace are also likely to be a topic of discussion. Trudeau announced last month that he ordered the takedown of an unidentified object that violated Canadian airspace, and a U.S. fighter jet ultimately successfully shot down the object. The move came after the U.S. downed a Chinese surveillance balloon after it traversed the country.
The visit is a whirlwind trip for the president, who arrived in Ottawa on Thursday night and visited the Trudeau family at their official residence. Mr. Biden leaves later Friday night to spend the weekend in Delaware.
How to watch Biden and Trudeau’s press conference
- What: President Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hold a press conference in Ottawa, Canada
- Date: March 24, 2023
- Time: 3:45 p.m. ET
- Location: Ottawa
- Online stream: Live on CBS News in the player above and on your mobile or streaming device.
Camilo Montoya-Galvez contributed reporting.
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