Transcript - Prime Minister Trudeau delivers remarks at the conclusion of his visit to Washington, D.C.
Prime Minister Trudeau delivers remarks at the conclusion of his visit to Washington, D.C.
Good afternoon, everyone. Thanks so much for being here. It’s always a pleasure to be back in Washington, D.C., working alongside our American partners on ways to better support the middle class. And it’s great to be joined by our Canadian delegation, including Minister Freeland, and Parliamentary Secretary Leslie, who are, as usual, hard at work.
I’ve had a very productive time here, beginning with Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit. There, I had an excellent conversation with Pattie Sellers about the economic empowerment of women. Before, and during that event, I met with some incredibly influential women business leaders to discuss some of our most pressing challenges, and had an opportunity to talk with amazing, inspiring young high school students who were focused on how they can be leaders of tomorrow, and leaders today. We know that the success of any society depends on the full socioeconomic participation of women, because when women succeed, we all succeed. And whether it’s flexible hours, parental leave, affordable child care, diversity training, equal pay, or any number of initiatives, it’s incumbent on all of us across the public and private spheres to be proud agents for change.
Following that theme, this morning I had a productive round table with WomenOne, where we discussed the current barriers to global gender equality, and marked the International Day of the Girl.
I also met with the Committee on Ways and Means, and we had a great conversation about the importance of the Canada-U.S. partnership. And I just wrapped up a very good meeting with President Trump, where we talked about trade, security and economic growth.
As we know, the fourth round of NAFTA negotiations is underway here in Washington, and the President and I reiterated our commitment to working together in good faith to give this deal a much-needed upgrade. NAFTA has benefitted millions of people and can benefit millions more. We’re pleased to have the opportunity to modernize this trade agreement for the current economy, a modernization that acknowledges the importance of gender, the environment, and Indigenous and labour rights. We know that there are millions of jobs on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border that rely on trade and investment. In fact, Canada is among the top export markets for the majority of U.S. states, and so it’s imperative that we get a fair deal for Canadians, Americans, and Mexicans alike. That’s what our teams at all orders of government are working hard towards.
Generally speaking, our trip to Washington has been very productive. At every meeting, I always kept the same question in mind: How can we work together, as Americans and Canadians, to better serve the middle class and those who are working so hard to join them? Because at the end of the day, we want to do what’s best for our citizens, and we know that we will get the best results by working together. That is what defines us as Canadians and Americans; that is what makes us close friends and staunch allies.
Indeed, I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, there is no relationship in the entire world quite like that between Canada and the United States. We can, and we will, continue to achieve great things together.