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US President Joe Biden will deliver a speech before the Canadian Parliament today

US President Joe Biden will deliver a speech before the Canadian Parliament today

By Omayma othmani

Published: March 24, 2023

U.S. President Joe Biden has arrived in Canada, waking up to a full day of events in the capital as part of his first official visit since taking office.

Alongside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Biden will meet with senior officials and deliver a speech to Parliament in an attempt to reaffirm the strength of the relationship between Canada and the United States after difficult years under the previous Trump administration.

The nighttime visit he and First Lady Jill Biden made on Thursday evening began with a warm welcome from Canadian government ministers and foreign affairs officials, followed by a brief meeting with Governor General Mary Simon and her husband Whit Fraser.

The Biden family then had an intimate dinner with Trudeau and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau at their country home in Rideau.

According to the White House, Biden will start his day with his daily briefing before making his way to the Parliament building. There, the President will be welcomed in the West Block by representatives of both the House of Commons and the Senate, as well as opposition party leaders, before signing the visitor’s book.

The POTUS will also hold a bilateral meeting with Trudeau in his office, followed by an expanded meeting with government ministers and members of Biden's delegation.

Expected to attend these high-level talks from the Canadian government are: Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of International Trade and Export Promotion, Minister of Small Business and Economic Development Mary Ng, Minister of Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Defence Anita Anand, and Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault.

It has not yet been confirmed which American officials will join this meeting, but Biden’s entourage in Ottawa includes more than ten officials, including: Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood Randall.

The main event of Biden's visit will be in the mid-afternoon, where the U.S. President will address an audience of Members of Parliament, Senators, dignitaries, and community members. Biden will be the ninth U.S. President to address Parliament, the last being Barack Obama in 2016.

Biden is also expected to affirm how the partnership between Canada and the United States is mutually beneficial and encourages ongoing cooperation in facing urgent challenges. On his last official mission to Ottawa, he was the guest of honor at a formal dinner in December 2016—just weeks before former U.S. President Donald Trump took office.

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