Biden to detail ‘roadmap’ for partnership with Canada in meeting with Trudeau

President Biden on Tuesday plans to lay out an initiative to govern bilateral relations with Canada moving forward during his first bilateral meeting as president.

Biden is set to meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau via video due to the coronavirus pandemic. The two will meet virtually for 45 minutes, joined by their closest aides, before expanding the meeting to include Cabinet officials.

“We’re trying to really recreate the substance and the depth and breadth of the bilateral relationship in the virtual space,” a senior administration official said in a call with reporters.

Biden is expected to rollout what is being billed as “The U.S.-Canada Partnership Roadmap,” which will outline how the two countries plan to collaborate on combatting the pandemic, national security issues, climate and the economy.

The two sides are expected to announce a climate ministerial on Tuesday on efforts to address the climate crisis, such as reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Biden and Trudeau are expected to highlight the importance of global efforts to vaccinate the population against COVID-19, though a senior official cautioned that the White House’s priority remains making sure all Americans are able to get the shot.

The two leaders will also discuss global military and security alliances such as NATO, the Group of Seven, Group of 20 and the World Trade Organization. Biden and Trudeau on Tuesday are expected to agree to expand cooperation on defense operations in the Arctic, including by modernizing the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

Other issues expected to come up during the meeting include Biden’s decision to revoke the permit to the Keystone XL pipeline, a controversial move that frustrated Canadian leaders. Trudeau raised his concerns with Biden during a Jan. 22 call, but Biden signaled “it’s not in the interest of the United States, particularly as we’re trying to address matters related to climate,” to continue work on the pipeline, a senior administration official said.

The two men are also likely to discuss the ongoing detention of two Canadian citizens in China. 

Biden is expected to deliver a public statement following the meeting.

Biden will be joined by Vice President Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan for a 45-minute session with Trudeau and his top advisers. The two will then hold an expanded bilateral meeting, which will include additional Cabinet officials, such as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

Biden’s first call to a foreign leader as president was also to Trudeau.

The White House has said it will likely be a “couple of months” before Biden hosts a foreign leader for an in-person visit at the White House.