US Secretary of State Discusses with Her Canadian Counterpart the Enhancement of Security and Economic Cooperation

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held talks today, Thursday, with his Canadian counterpart, Anita Anand, to discuss ways to enhance bilateral cooperation on security, economic issues, and matters of shared interest.

In a statement, U.S. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the meeting focused on strengthening coordination on shared priorities in security, economic, and regional areas.

Pigott added that Secretary Rubio reaffirmed during the meeting the shared priorities in the Western Hemisphere, including the ongoing partnership with Canada within the “Group of Permanent Partners” on Haiti, providing emergency aid to address earthquakes in Venezuela, and security in the Arctic region.

He clarified that the two sides also discussed joint efforts to eliminate online fraud centers and the need for “immediate, fundamental, and irreversible reforms in Cuba.”

The meeting comes after U.S. President Donald Trump announced yesterday, Wednesday, the suspension of the imposition of a 50 percent tariff on Canadian imports, just hours before it was set to take effect, following the reach of a “very fair” trade agreement for both sides.