Newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, 43, installed on a liberal agenda at odds with the authoritarian policies of a few other Asia-Pacific leaders, is bringing a dash of vitality to an annual forum whose most concrete outcome is usually a photo op of mainly middle-aged men in funky shirts.
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Standing with Obama, Trudeau retorted: “So young, and yet so cynical”.
Obama also announced that Trudeau will pay his first visit to Washington, likely early in the new year, “so we can have a more extensive expanded bilateral”.
With respect to the environment, Obama rejected the Keystone XL pipeline project earlier this month, saying he had environmental concerns about approving the transport of dirty oil from Alberta across the United States.
Trudeau has also had no shortage of opportunities to meet with fellow world leaders during this trip, having sat down with the leaders of the USA, China, Japan and South Korea, among others.
“There were loopholes here that were unfortunately skirted, that need to be solved, both for Canada’s interest and for the sake of our good relationship with neighbors”, Trudeau said.
“We make no apologies for that, but I also think we have to recognize if we want to preserve this planet for our kids and grandkids, we’re going to have to shift increasingly away from carbon emitting energy sources”, the president said.
“It’s going to be a wonderful time of strength in ties between our two countries”, Trudeau said.
He is expected to support ratifying the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a 12-nation trade agreement championed by Obama, and by Harper, that is meant to become the core of a region-wide free trade bloc.
Trudeau later said the bigger lesson he internalized from his first phone call with Obama was about “how fast his daughters grew in the seven years since that first night of his electoral victory”.
As the USA and other nations seek to intensify airstrikes against the militant group that claimed responsibility for downing a Russian jet and killing at least 129 in Paris, Canada is shifting its focus. Trudeau said that he was going to keep his promise of ending the combat mission of Canada in Syria and Iraq.
“Canada is committed to continuing to engage as a strong member of the coalition against ISIL”, Trudeau said Thursday, adding the jet withdrawal was discussed but he declined to say if Obama asked him to reconsider.
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has pledged to “refocus” his military’s efforts in Syria to put more emphasis on the training of local ground forces.
