Obama and Trudeau make nice with Keystone a thing of the past

The Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation summit is a forum for 21 Pacific Rim economies promoting free trade in the region.

Dozens deep, the group shrieked and wailed as they followed Trudeau out of the summit’s global media centre in a cocoon of adulation. Television cameras, microphones, a sea of cellphone cameras and a few stone-faced RCMP protection officers rounded it out.

“We’ll take a few interest right now and convert that into the substance of what we’re talking about”, he said here Thursday. Obama has repeatedly reached out to the young politician whose surprise victory and message of change have given him the kind of celebrity status the USA president enjoyed at the start of his term. “So I think there’s a nice dovetailing of a desire to get things done and not put things off. That means we’re going to have a lot to agree on”.

The response from Trudeau virtually dumped hopes for a swift and concrete resolution to the issue.

“Canada and USA are both important oil and gas producers, and we make no apologies but we need to shift from carbon intensive energy to other sources”, he said.

Obama made the remark after his first formal bilateral meeting with Trudeau on the final day of the summit.

In addition to the war against Islamic militants, the two leaders were also expected to discuss the refugee crisis, transpacific trade and climate change.

Canada will continue to be a part of the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, says newly appointed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

At the same time Trudeau has vowed to press ahead with plans to bring 25 000 Syrian refugees to Canada by year’s end, despite growing opposition over security concerns following last week’s deadly IS-claimed Paris attacks.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered nothing but a “legislative solution” to the loud clamor for Canada to take back a cargo of allegedly toxic garbage shipment.

There was no animosity in sight over Obama’s decision earlier this month to reject the Keystone XL pipeline project. Trudeau’s Liberals have said they are “resolutely pro-trade” but have not endorsed or opposed the TPP deal, which has drawn warnings in Canada and is opposed by one of the two main opposition parties.

Obama added that both countries will need to “rethink how we do energy”.

“I just wanted to point out that I had no gray hair when I was in your position seven years ago”, Obama said to Trudeau.