Biden to visit Canada in March: White House
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The White House reveals US President Joe Biden's first visit to Canada in March.
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President Joe Biden meets with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the InterContinental Presidente Mexico City hotel in Mexico City, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023 (AP)
US President Joe Biden will go to Canada in March in the first official visit to the northern neighbor since taking office, the White House confirmed on Tuesday.
Biden "looks forward to traveling to Canada in March of this year," he said to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during talks on the sidelines of a North American leaders' summit in Mexico City.
The two leaders discussed joint efforts to boost economic competitiveness, strengthen security cooperation, tackle climate change, and address irregular migration and instability in Haiti, according to the White House.
"The leaders highlighted recent coordinated actions to provide assistance to the people of Haiti and hold those fomenting violence accountable, including through sanctions," the statement said.
"The two leaders committed to continue coordination with partners on the UN Security Council on next steps to support stability to Haiti, including support to the Haitian National Police," it added.
Haiti's government has called for international intervention as armed gangs take over large swaths of the poverty-stricken nation.
Read: Tracing the roots of Haiti's US-sponsored troubles
The North American summit, dubbed the "Three Amigos" summit, started off to a politically charged beginning when Biden made his first trip to the US-Mexico border since taking office.
Just before the visit, Biden announced a major policy change for the US-Mexico border to address dissatisfaction from both Democrats and Republicans regarding his border policy.
With Mexico's permission, the US will begin admitting up to 30,000 migrants per month from Nicaragua, Cuba, Haiti, and Venezuela under a 'parole program', while those who do not comply will be expelled.
Activists see Biden's policy shift as a rejection of his campaign promise to protect asylum seekers, but it may mitigate the Republican backlash he has faced for months.
