Washington, Jan 23: Joe Biden spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in his first call to a foreign leader as US President, highlighting the strategic importance of their bilateral cooperation to strengthen economic and defence ties, combating the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges posed by climate change.
Biden also spoke with his Mexican counterpart Lopez Obrador on Friday, US media reported.
President Biden and his team are scheduled to make a number of calls to their foreign counterparts in the coming week.
“We will repair our alliances and engage with the world once again, not to meet yesterday’s challenges but today’s and tomorrow’s challenges,” Biden had said in his inaugural address on Wednesday.
In his first call to a Prime Minister Trudeau as President of the United States, Biden highlighted the strategic importance of the US-Canada relationship and reinvigorating their bilateral cooperation on an ambitious and wide-ranging agenda, including combating the COVID-19 pandemic, strengthening economic ties, defence, and global leadership to address the pressing challenge of climate change.
According to the White House, the President acknowledged Trudeau’s disappointment regarding the decision to rescind the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline and reaffirmed his commitment to maintain an active bilateral dialogue and to further deepen cooperation with Canada.
Biden has revoked a permit for the USD 9 billion Keystone XL pipeline, which would funnel oil from Alberta across the border to the US.
“The President and the Prime Minister discussed their shared vision to promote a sustainable economic recovery and to work together to achieve a net-zero emissions future, including through advancements in the automotive sector. The two leaders agreed to speak again in a month to continue to build out our bilateral cooperation,” the White House said in a readout of the call.
The new Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin spoke by phone with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg shortly after arriving at the Pentagon. This was his first call made to a foreign leader as the Defence Secretary.
This reinforces the importance of the NATO Alliance to the United States, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said. (PTI)
