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U.S. NEWS A3
Friday 11 March 2016
Obama, Trudeau show like-minded values in White House visit
Continued from front ism.
The leaders also sought to
“From my perspective, show progress on common
what’s not to like?” Obama areas of concern. Obama
said. said they had instructed
The 44-year-old Trudeau, aides to work on efforts
son of the late Prime Minis- that would make it easier
ter Pierre Trudeau, won last for goods and people to
October’s election borrow- move back and forth be-
ing the theme of optimism tween the two nation’s
and said he’s learned a lot borders. Canada is the
from 54-year-old Obama. United States’ largest trad-
“He’s somebody with a ing partner, with more than
big heart, but also a big $2 billion worth of goods
brain,” Trudeau said. “And and services crossing the
for me to be able to count
on a friend who has lived President Barack Obama
through many of the things smiles during his meeting
that I’m about to encoun- with Canadian Prime Minister
ter on the political stage, Justin Trudeau, Thursday,
on the international stage, March 10, 2016, in the Oval
it’s a great comfort to me.” Office of the White House in
Beginning with an ornate Washington.
arrival ceremony on the
South Lawn, Obama and (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez
his wife, Michelle, wel- Monsivais)
comed Trudeau, his wife,
Sophie Gregoire, and their border every day. About
three children. 75 percent of Canada’s
The leaders found time for exports go to the U.S.
some levity before heading And to start the day off,
into an Oval Office meet- they announced efforts to
ing, with a state dinner to reduce methane emissions
come in the evening. from gas and oil produc-
The president hit on a tion. They committed to re-
topic of national pride ducing methane emissions
for Canadians: hockey. by 40 percent to 45 per-
“Where’s the Stanley Cup cent from 2012 levels over
right now?” Obama joked, the coming decade.
before answering his own “I’m confident that by
question — the Chicago working together, we’ll
Blackhawks won it last sea- get there sooner than we
son. think,” Trudeau said.
Trudeau tried to match Methane is the second
Obama’s trash talk, not- most prevalent green-
ing that three of the Black- house gas emitted in
hawks’ best players are the U.S. from human activi-
from Canada. Still, the ties and is much more effi-
young prime minister’s re- cient at trapping radiation
marks were largely ear- than carbon dioxide.
nest. He linked his agenda They also announced
to that of the Obama ad- Obama will address Cana-
ministration and said the da’s Parliament in June.
two governments “share Trudeau’s father swept into
and are working on the ex- power in 1968 and, with a
act same objectives.” short interruption, served
“There is no relationship until 1984. He was often
in the entire world like the compared to President
Canada-U.S. relationship,” John F. Kennedy and re-
Trudeau said. “We grew up mains one of the few Ca-
together.” nadian politicians known in
Despite that close geo- America.
graphical and political alli- Tall and fit, Justin Trudeau
ance, no Canadian prime channels the charisma of
minister had made an offi- his father. He aims to re-
cial visit since 1997, a fact store his father’s legacy as
that Obama noted. leader of the Liberal Party,
“It’s about time, eh?” which was under siege
Obama said, playing up during 10 years of Conser-
the Canadian colloquial- vative rule under Stephen
Harper, Trudeau’s prede-
cessor.
