‘Positive Conversations’: Minister Joly Meets With Republican Senators in Washington

Ottawa’s plan to engage with the next U.S. administration moved forward this week with Foreign Affairs Minster Mélanie Joly meeting with Republican politicians while visiting Washington. At the end of her visit, Joly said she had met with “many” senators, with the main topics discussed including the countries’ trade relationship, shared border, and Arctic foreign policy. Joly reiterated that Ottawa has a “good plan” for dealing with the incoming administration, telling reporters at the Canadian embassy in the U.S. capital that the first step is ensuring lines of communication are open. Joly said the many senators she met have been “clear” that the trade relationship with Canada is “very, very important.” They’ve also noticed Canada is taking steps to protect its market on national security grounds against “back door” trade practices by China....