Canadian Prime Minister and Trump meet in the White House

President Donald Trump met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the White House on Monday, Feb. 13, 2017. (Credit: Getty Images )

BBC – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he will not lecture President Donald Trump on Syrian refugees.

“The last thing Canadians expect is for me to come down and lecture another country on how they choose to govern”, he said at a news conference.

Both leaders stressed the countries’ shared economic goals and co-operation at a White House news conference.

But their responses to questions about Syrian refugees underscored their contrasting policies on immigration.

Mr Trump defended his controversial travel ban, saying he wanted “to have a big beautiful, open door” but that “we cannot let the wrong people in”.

The US president has come under international scrutiny for issuing an executive order temporarily banning entry of all refugees and visitors from seven mainly Muslim countries.

A federal judge has issued a temporary nationwide block on the travel ban, but the issue of refugees appeared to overshadow the joint news conference.

Mr Trudeau said the US and Canada had always been strong allies, fighting alongside one another on the battlefields.

“But there are times when we have differed in our approaches. And that’s always been done firmly and respectfully”, he said.

The prime minister added that Canada continues to “pursue our policies of openness” and would serve as a “positive example in the world”.

The two men, however, emphasised their commitment to provide growth and jobs for people on both sides of the northern border.

The views expressed in Op-Ed pieces are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of Libyan Express.
How to submit an Op-Ed: Libyan Express accepts opinion articles on a wide range of topics. Submissions may be sent to oped@libyanexpress.com. Please include ‘Op-Ed’ in the subject line.
You might also like

Submit a Correction

For: Canadian Prime Minister and Trump meet in the White House

Your suggestion have been successfully submitted

There was an error while trying to send your request. Please try again.

Libyan Express will use the information you provide on this form to be in touch with you and to provide updates and marketing.