Newly elected US President, Joe Biden and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau met for the first time over video call after Biden’s election. The meeting, aimed at renewing the strained relations developed during the Trump administration seems to be a good start. 

“The United States has no closer friend than Canada. We have a robust agenda today and we’re all best served when the United States and Canada work together and lead together,” Biden said in public remarks.  

Both Trudeau and Biden are set on re-establishing healthy neighbours alliance. The Canadian PM was the first to call and congratulate Biden on winning the presidential elections. Biden too made it a point to first call Trudeau after officially entering the Oval Office. 

Trudeau said they would work “together to get through Covid but also to make sure we’re pulling our weight around the world and making the world a better and safer place for everyone.”

In contrast, the Trump administration had recategorised Canada and several other traditional US allies as hostile competitors,  straining the relations. 

“US leadership has been sorely missed over the past, uh, past years,” he said in a subtle jibe at Trump.

Emphasizing on the importance of US-Canada relations, the White House has signalled the significant role of G7, NATO, WTO and the Five Eyes intelligence alliance. 

Underlining a reset from Trump’s typically bruising trade policies, the White House said the “roadmap” includes working “towards reviving the North American Leaders’ Summit as a recommitment of solidarity among the United States, Canada, and Mexico.”

But while Canada is looking forward to more reliable behaviour from its largest trading partner, Biden has already introduced his own new source of friction by cancelling the cross-border Keystone XL pipeline project, citing environmental concerns.