12 January 2009

Obama's visit gives Harper chance to highlight Canada's importance as economic partner

This article is excerpted from the 12 January 2009 edition of “globeandmail.com”.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper will pitch his government's proposal for a Canada-U.S. climate-change accord and urge greater economic co-operation to revive the North American economy when Barack Obama travels to Canada in his first foreign trip as U.S. president.

Mr. Obama is expected to address Parliament when he visits Ottawa. The high-profile visit of the new president - who is enormously popular among Canadians and throughout the world - will give Mr. Harper an opportunity to highlight Canada's importance to the United States as both a strategic and economic partner at the outset of Mr. Obama's term in office.

It will also allow the Democratic president to convey the message that the U.S. is prepared to work more effectively with its allies to confront common problems….

Mr. Obama is due to meet today in Washington with Mexican President Felipe Calderon. Eight years ago, President George W. Bush broke with tradition by making Mexico, rather than Canada, his first foreign visit.

An official in the Prime Minister's Office said yesterday that it is too early to have a specific agenda for the bilateral meeting, but economic co-operation will top the list of concerns, including concerns over U.S. energy security and the need to deal with the environment….

Liberal foreign affairs critic Bob Rae said Mr. Harper needs to impress upon Mr. Obama the integrated nature of the North American economy, and to ensure Canada does not get "sideswiped" as Washington assists crippled industries like the automotive sector.

"There's a lot of protectionist pressure in the United States ... and Mr. Obama had some protectionist things to say during the election," Mr. Rae told CTV's Question Period yesterday.

"I do think the president needs to learn about Canada and needs to hear from us about why this trading relationship is important not only to us but to the United States, and I don't think either one of us can afford to go off on protectionist tangents."

In the broader global arena, the two leaders will seek common ground on approaches to Afghanistan, the NATO and its military role, and ongoing violence and tension in the Middle East between Israel and its Arab neighbours. …