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Published: March 25, 2023
U.S. President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced updates on a number of cross-border issues, after a day of meetings at the Parliament building.
In a joint statement, the two leaders announced plans to further enhance NORAD and expand the Third Safe Country Agreement to unofficial entry points to address irregular migration.
Also, according to Trudeau's office, Canada made a series of new funding commitments, including:
• $250 million in Canada’s semiconductor sector
• $420 million to protect and restore the Great Lakes area
• $100 million in additional equipment and support for the Haitian National Police
• $7.3 billion in infrastructure for F-35 fighter jet access, from $38.6 billion in NORAD’s modernization plan.
The joint statement said: “Our enduring partnership is built on a mutual commitment to shared security, shared prosperity, and shared democratic values, including the importance of combating climate change and strict respect for human rights and the rule of law. As closest friends and allies, we remain committed to improving the lives of people on both sides of our shared border and building a world that is freer, fairer, safer, and more prosperous.”
The U.S. president arrived at the Parliament building Friday morning amid a big buzz and “much to talk about” during his first official visit to Canada since taking office.
About an hour late from the scheduled time, Biden was met against a backdrop of American flags lining the street with very tight security measures.
The U.S. president was welcomed in the West Block by representatives of the House of Commons and Senate and opposition party leaders. Among those who greeted him was Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who held a separate meeting with Biden later.
Biden then signed guest books in the House of Commons and Senate before moving quickly to hold a bilateral meeting with Trudeau inside his office.
For his part, Biden, who gave brief remarks to the assembled media group before the doors closed for their private chat for about 30 minutes, said it was great to be in Canada.
He added that he always tells other world leaders how lucky America is to have Canada in the north at a time when many geopolitical challenges are facing, and while the two countries sometimes differ, there is no difference when it comes to the democratic values they share.
This meeting was followed by an expanded meeting with government ministers and members of Biden’s delegation.
The main event in Biden’s visit was his speech to Parliament, making him the ninth U.S. president to deliver an address to Parliament, the last being Barack Obama in 2016.
The U.S. president spoke to an audience of members of parliament, senators, senior officials, other key stakeholders, and community members.
The First Lady Jill Biden and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau also attended the speech, after spending the morning off the Hill meeting with early childhood educators to talk about mental health in sports and visiting the Canadian National Gallery for a luncheon and to see an exhibition focusing on Canadian women.
With no scheduled transfers from the Parliament building, many in Ottawa were waiting to see if Biden would make any spontaneous visits that would put him in a public place with Canadians.
This has not happened yet, but the capital was on high alert, with a heavy police presence, military aircraft in the sky, and circulating road closures every time the Secret Service POTUS motorcade moved.
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