OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to be in Washington on Friday as part of U.S. President Joe Biden's push for greater economic integration across the Western Hemisphere.
"Canada is an invaluable partner in that effort," U.S. Ambassador David Cohen told The Canadian Press.
Biden has announced a Friday meetingto help shape the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity, a trade framework.
Cohen said Trudeau will be part of those meetings, though the Prime Minister's Office is not confirming his schedule.
"I'm pretty sure that the first invitation that was extended, to come to this conference, was extended to Prime Minister Trudeau," Cohen said Tuesday.
"It's very important to President Biden that he be there."
The project aims to create more jobs and restore faith in democracy by having dozen countries bolster the region's economic competitiveness, though it is not a trade deal.
It is seeking the co-operation of a dozen countries, from Chile and the Dominican Republic to Barbados, on everything from forest conservation and anti-corruption measures to using private investment for climate-resilient infrastructure.
Biden announced the program at the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles in June 2022.
"The whole design is to bring North American countries together, to focus on their shared opportunities for prosperity and economic development," Cohen said.
The ambassador said Canada shares the values the U.S. is trying to champion in the region, adding there will be "some nice and interesting announcements" at the meeting.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2023.
Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press
