The Vice President met this afternoon with a team of Canadian ministers and their U.S. counterparts in conjunction with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s visit to Washington. The participants in the meeting from Canada included Minister of Public Safety Ralph Goodale, Minister of Finance William Morneau, Minister of Transport Marc Garneau, and Minister of National Defence Harjit Sajjan. The Vice President was joined by Secretary of Defense James Mattis, Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly, Acting Deputy Secretary of State Tom Shannon, and members of the Vice President’s staff. The Vice President emphasized the importance of the U.S. bilateral relationship with Canada and underscored the need to deepen our cooperation on issues related to trade and investment, border security, and the fight against global terrorism, including the counter-ISIS campaign. The Vice President also discussed the U.S. government’s continuing commitment to NATO, and he and the Canadian ministers discussed their expectations for the Munich Security Conference later this week, where he will be traveling to engage with a wide range of NATO allies on issues related to European security. Following their private discussion, the Vice President and the Canadian ministers joined the President and other members of the U.S. and Canadian delegations for a working lunch hosted by the President in the State Dining Room at the White House.
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