President Barack Obama is met by Canada's Governor General Michaelle Jean as he arrives in Ottawa, Canada, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
by Mike Dorning
OTTAWA, Canada--Barack Obama arrived in Canada's capital city this morning on his first foreign trip as president for meetings expected to focus on the two countries' trading relationship and the environment.
Canadian Governor General Michaelle Jean greeted him at the airport and escorted him past a line of red-coated Royal Canadian Mounted Police standing at attention.
Though Obama pledged during the Democratic primary campaign to try to renegotiate NAFTA, he has struck a much softer tone as president, offering assurances of his support for robust trade with Canada in advance of his arrival.
Canadian anxieties over the two countries' trading relationship have been stoked by "Buy America" provisions in the $787 billion stimulus package last week. The Obama Administration negotiated with Congress to tamp down the measures by requiring that they comply with international trade agreements, including NAFTA, but officials here remain concerned about their potential impact.
Canada's economy is highly dependent on commerce with its neighbor, with one-third of its gross domestic product coming from exports to the United States. The trading relationship is the largest in the world between any two countries.
Despite the unease over trade, Obama is an enormously popular figure in Canada and his visit has generated plenty of advance enthusiasm. Crowds began gathering in a light snowstorm hours in advance to witness his arrival at the airport and national parliament building, where he will meet Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Police lined the motorcade route in the city, which will take Obama along Ottawa's Rideau Canal, which is billed as the world's largest ice-skating rink and used by local residents to commute to work on skate during winter months.
Many Canadians felt snubbed by George W. Bush's decision to make his first foreign visit to Mexico; Obama is returning to a tradition followed by four of the past seven presidents in making his first foreign visit to Canada.
Obama is only scheduled to be on the ground for a little over seven hours, with meetings and a working lunch planned with Harper, as well as a brief joint press conference. He also plans to meet with opposition party leader Michael Ignatieff before departing for Washington.
The meetings will largely be a chance for leaders to get to know one another. White House officials said the only formal agreement they expect out of the meeting is a technical agreement on environmental technology.
Comments
The trade issues - from NAFTA to "Buy American" - will certainly be a touchy subject for Obama. Does he just ignore his past rhetoric on free trade and start fresh? Flip...Flop...
But the White House has done a good job of reassuring the Canadians that not much will actually change on trade. We'll see if Obama carries that out...
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Posted by: matt | February 19, 2009 11:30 AM
If I was a Canadian I would be worried about the Obama bus wheels firmly attached by the unions but he may just grant them a "waiver". Inky, he probably is checking out that fantastic national healthcare system, giving a few pointers on reducing their costs and extended waiting periods for specialized care while attempting to slow the influx and subsequent burden of costs Americans pay for Canadians utilizing our overpriced doctors and healthcare facilities. Just a thought.
Posted by: Bubba Porter | February 19, 2009 2:49 PM
Jeez, just watched the news conference with the Canadian PM and it appears no additional troops from Canada and here I thought Obama told us he would bring a new allied and NATO commitment to the fight in Afghan. Well, hope the French come through otherwise somebody must have been dreaming or pandering for votes.
Posted by: Bubba Porter | February 19, 2009 3:11 PM
Does BO really mean what he says?
Professor Goolsbee assured them that Mr. Obama’s protectionist stand on the trail was “more reflective of political maneuvering than policy.”
It also said the professor had assured the Canadians that Mr. Obama’s language “should be viewed as more about political positioning than a clear articulation of policy plans.”
Posted by: Terry | February 19, 2009 7:04 PM