QUEBEC – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says he is confident Canada’s contribution to the fight against terrorism will be “significant.”
Kerry, Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion and Mexico’s Claudia Ruiz Massieu held a meeting in Quebec City on Friday and discussed various topics, including terrorism, the economy, human-trafficking and climate change.
The decision by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to remove six CF-18 jet fighters involved in the war on terrorism the Middle East surfaced at a news conference after the meeting.
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“While they (Canada) have made a choice with respect to one particular component of that effort (the fight against ISIS), that does not reflect on the overall commitment or capacity to contribute significantly to the road ahead,” Kerry said.
“We are convinced we are making significant progress and we will make more… We have confidence that Canada will continue to make a significant contribution.”
Dion said Canada will announce a contribution in the fight against terrorism that “will be well-received, I am quite optimstic.”
“The goal for Canada is to redeploy our efforts in a way that will be optimal, very effective, more effective than today in some ways, in order to be sure we’ll be strong in our fight against the so-called Islamic State,” Dion said.
The Quebec City meeting sets the stage for a summit later this year featuring Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, U.S. President Barack Obama and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.
The so-called Three Amigos were supposed to meet in Canada last year, but former prime minister Stephen Harper cancelled the summit.
Dion said it was because Canada had difficulties with the United States on the Keystone XL pipeline project that has since been rejected and with Mexico about a visa dispute.
Trudeau has said he wants to lift the requirement for Mexican visitors to Canada to get a visa, but sources say there will be no major announcement on that at today’s meeting.
Dion says one of the reasons for the meeting is to enable Canada to play “catch-up” in its relations with the United States and Mexico.
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