OTTAWA -- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris on Monday about a series of cross-border issues, including the Democrats鈥� 鈥淏uy American鈥� policy, according to his office.
In a readout from the bilateral call, the PMO says the pair talked about Harris鈥� years spent in Montreal, which she 鈥渞ecalled fondly,鈥� and the two leaders dug into some pressing policy matters.
Trudeau鈥檚 office said on the call the prime minister discussed 鈥渁voiding the unintended consequences of Buy American policies,鈥� and raised climate change, the 鈥渃entrality of democratic principles鈥� and the need to promote diversity.
The readout from the conversation issued by Harris鈥� office didn鈥檛 reference U.S. President Joe Biden鈥檚 promise to prioritize U.S.-based suppliers, specifically. It鈥檚 an approach the Canadian government has suggested they will try to expand to become a so-called 鈥榖uy North American鈥� policy.
In what sounds like a jam-packed call, the pair also found time to touch on firearm trafficking, gender-based violence, and the ongoing Chinese detention of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor.
Harris鈥� readout was more brief, summarizing the call as one where Harris 鈥渦nderscored Canada鈥檚 deep importance to the United States as an economic and strategic partner, and she expressed the United States鈥� desire to work closely with Canada on a wide range of issues.鈥�
There is a bilateral meeting in the works between Trudeau and U.S. President Joe Biden, though given the pandemic and newly-tightened travel measures, it鈥檚 set to happen virtually in some form and a date has not been announced.
Trudeau was the first foreign leader to receive a phone call from Biden after he took office in January. Political leaders in both countries have indicated their desire to reset the Canada-U.S. relationship, though it鈥檚 gotten off to a rocky start with Biden鈥檚 rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline project which the prime minister supported.
According to the vice-president鈥檚 statement about the call the two have agreed to 鈥渞emain in close touch, and to support all efforts to expand bilateral cooperation.鈥�
