nds76
03-04-2006, 1:02am
OTTAWA (CP) - Prime Minister Stephen Harper will meet President George W. Bush and Mexican President Vicente Fox in Cancun, Mexico, at the end of the month to talk trade and security, among other issues.
The trilateral meeting at the Caribbean resort March 30-31 will be Harper's first face-to-face with Bush and Fox since he won the January federal election. Harper has spoken to Bush by telephone since taking office and met personally while he was Opposition leader; he has also talked to Fox by phone.
Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay, who met his Mexican counterpart, Luis Ernesto Derbez Bautista, on Friday, said the meeting will cover a variety of topics.
"We are going to have discussions around shared security concerns; border issues will obviously be part of the trilateral," he said.
"The agenda has not been set, it's still fluid . . . both countries are giving input at this point to set the parameters."
Harper is certain to raise the question of trade irritants with Bush.
Canada and the United States have been haggling over a number of trade issues in recent years, including the nagging problem of softwood lumber.
MacKay said the meeting will build on previous progress.
"It's going to be a continuation of what has been an extremely positive and very constructive relationship."
http://www.cjob.com/news/index.aspx?dir=national&src=ext&rem=./n030351A.xml
The trilateral meeting at the Caribbean resort March 30-31 will be Harper's first face-to-face with Bush and Fox since he won the January federal election. Harper has spoken to Bush by telephone since taking office and met personally while he was Opposition leader; he has also talked to Fox by phone.
Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay, who met his Mexican counterpart, Luis Ernesto Derbez Bautista, on Friday, said the meeting will cover a variety of topics.
"We are going to have discussions around shared security concerns; border issues will obviously be part of the trilateral," he said.
"The agenda has not been set, it's still fluid . . . both countries are giving input at this point to set the parameters."
Harper is certain to raise the question of trade irritants with Bush.
Canada and the United States have been haggling over a number of trade issues in recent years, including the nagging problem of softwood lumber.
MacKay said the meeting will build on previous progress.
"It's going to be a continuation of what has been an extremely positive and very constructive relationship."
http://www.cjob.com/news/index.aspx?dir=national&src=ext&rem=./n030351A.xml