Canada, US foreign ministers meet to deepen bilateral cooperation

Americas, News, US November 13, 2021 , by IRIA No Comments

Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly met with the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on November 12, in Washington D.C.

During their meeting, both officials emphasized the importance of the U.S.-Canada partnership and discussed a range of issues, including the upcoming North American Leaders’ Summit, the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the situation in Haiti, and shared commitment to promote global security and universal norms.

The U.S. Department of State official statement read, “Secretary Blinken noted his appreciation for our close collaboration as we continue to implement the Roadmap for a Renewed U.S.-Canada Partnership, including opportunities to reinforce the importance of democracy, anticorruption, and human rights at the Summit for Democracy.”

Canada’s foreign minister Joly reaffirmed the importance of friendship with the U.S. and emphasized deepening the bilateral cooperation between Canada and the U.S. by stating that, “This historic friendship is one that we have to take care of and that we must work on… making sure that we can continue to collaborate to fight climate change, to really also address the importance of fighting for democracies and protecting also our democratic institutions and values.”

According to Global Affairs Canada, Media Relations Office, “Minister Joly shared Canada’s deep concerns with the rapidly deteriorating situation in Ethiopia, notably the rising insecurity, humanitarian crisis, and human rights violations. They discussed how the international community, including Canada, can best support the African Union-led mediation efforts to resolve the conflict.”

“They also discussed the situation in Afghanistan and how both countries can work together to help people in need. Minister Joly reiterated the importance of obtaining safe passage for Canadians, Canadian permanent residents, and Afghans, of mitigating the humanitarian crisis, and of advocating for inclusive and representative governance and respect for the fundamental rights of all Afghans,” the statement added. Both U.S. Secretary Blinken and Minister Joly also held discussions on their cooperation in the hemisphere, “notably the rapidly deteriorating situation in Haiti”. During the meeting, Canadian minister of foreign affairs reaffirmed “Canada’s commitment to strengthen efforts to address poverty, human rights, gender issues, democracy, insecurity, and lack of access to economic opportunities in the region.”