Remarks by President Biden and Prime Minister Trudeau of Canada Before Bilateral Meeting

InterContinental Presidente
Mexico City, Mexico

10:42 A.M. CST
 
PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, Mr. Prime Minister, it’s great to see you here.  When we talked at the G20, we talked about the need for us as partners to continue not only to stay partners, but to increase our coordination.  And that’s something that — that we’re going to do.
 
I think your phrase was: “When we work together, we can achieve great things.”  And I believe that.  I know the American press is tired of hearing me say this, but I’m optimistic.  I’m optimistic about the future and the near term.  And it’s going to be hard, but there’s a lot we can do together.
 
And the fact is we’ve been partners and friends.  We’re NATO partners.  We’re involved in the — the North American Leaders’ Summit.  Today, we’re going to be going over and seeing our — our counterpart, the President of Mexico.
 
But I think what we should be doing and we are doing is demonstrating the unlimited economic potential that we have when we work together and — in the hemisphere, and to help the entire hemisphere.
 
And there’s a lot we’re going to be talking about, including clean energy.  We should be the clean energy powerhouse of the world.  And that’s not hyperbole; I genuinely mean that.
 
And we’re also in a situation where we’re in the process at home — and you are as well, and we’ve talked about it — of strengthening our supply chains so that no one can arbitrarily hold us up or a pandemic in Asia cause us to not have access to critical elements that we need to do everything from build automobiles to so many other things.
 
And, together, I think we’re achieving some really significant things.  Today, we’re going to discuss how we can try to help stabilize Haiti and how we can deal with migration and, at the same time, bolster our national security.
 
So, I want to thank you again.  You’ve always been there.  Whenever I’ve called, you’ve picked up the phone.  Obviously, it’s the same here.
 
I don’t think we have — as I told one foreign leader who was with a different perspective than — than you and I have on world peace — and I said to him — I said, “Well, I’m lucky.  I got Canada to the north and Mexico to the south and two oceans on either side.  You’ve got…” — and then I described his circumstance.  And he just looked at me like “Ooh.”  (Laughter.)
 
But it’s true — we got to make the most of it.  And so, thank you for everything.

PRIME MINISTER TRUDEAU:  Thank you, Joe.  It’s so good to be able to — to spend a little time with you here on — on some more local issues.

You and I have been working so closely on significant global issues, whether it’s the pressures of China and Russia, and Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, and the need to continue to stand up strong for democracy, for the rule of law, for — for opportunities and inclusive economic growth around the world.

But, as you say, there are tremendous things that we can build on here at home.

North America is the largest free-trading bloc in the world, larger even than the European Union.  We have a tremendous amount to contribute to the world in goods and services but also in technologies and solutions that the world really needs.  And our capacity to work together has brought us to places of extraordinary success.  But at a time of disruption around the world, a time of very real challenges, we can and must be doing even more.

So I’m really pleased with all the work that our folks have been doing over the past many months and years on aligning or coordinating so that we’re leading the way on the — on the — the net-zero transition we all have to do while at the same time ensuring that individual Canadians and Americans and Mexicans and others around the world can see themselves in the future in an optimistic way and understand that, yes, we’re at a time of challenges and strife, but, you’re right, there’s a lot of reasons to be optimistic, especially for those of us in our countries.

But it’s going to take a lot of work, something that neither you nor I nor mostly our citizens have ever been afraid of.  Rolling up our sleeves and building that better future and those better communities is absolutely essential. 

So, as we talk about issues, whether it’s Haiti, whether it’s some of the challenges in South America, whether we talk about critical minerals and energy and how we’re going to continue to move forward to create those efficient and resilient supply and value chains that we need, there’s a lot that we’re going to be able to do together.

(Speaks in French.)  (No translation provided.)

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Every time you end like that, I think to myself, “I should have spent more time when I was in college.”  (Laughter.)  I took French for years, but I never –
–
 
Anyway, thank you.

10:47 A.M. CST