Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Joe Biden share a laugh after Biden's address to Parliament in the House of Commons, on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, Friday, March 24, 2023. U.S. envoy David Cohen says Biden's visit was an authentic, intimate showcase of how important Canada continues to be to its southern neighbour. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
WASHINGTON – The federal Liberals aren’t the only ones declaring U.S. President Joe Biden’s visit to Ottawa a triumph for Canada-U.S. relations.
U.S. envoy David Cohen describes Biden’s visit as an authentic, intimate showcase of how important Canada continues to be to its southern neighbour.
Cohen is pointing to significant progress on modernizing Norad and working together on critical minerals as two of the most important elements of the visit.
But not everyone is happy: new rules at the Canada-U.S. border are already turning away legions of would-be asylum seekers at the unofficial Roxham Road crossing.
Cohen says the changes are an integral part of a larger, broader strategy to deal with irregular migration, which he calls a very difficult issue.
He’s also playing down Biden’s comment that Canada doesn’t want to turn its critical minerals into products, saying the president was trying to emphasize the opportunity for the two countries to work together.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 26, 2023.
