Biden to meet virtually with Canada’s Trudeau on Tuesday

President Biden will hold a virtual meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday, marking his first bilateral meeting with a foreign leader since taking office.

“In this virtual event, the President will highlight the strong and deep partnership between the United States and Canada as neighbors, friends and NATO Allies,” press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement. “The meeting will be an opportunity for the two leaders to review joint efforts in areas of mutual interest such as the COVID-19 response, climate change, and the economic ties that bind our countries, as well as the deep people-to-people bonds we share.”

White House officials will also hold virtual meetings with Canadian ministers on specific policy issues, Psaki said.

Biden has held several phone calls with foreign leaders since taking office, and he participated in a video conference with fellow Group of Seven leaders on Friday. The virtual meeting with Trudeau will be Biden’s first one-on-one meeting with a foreign counterpart.

Biden’s first call as president was to Trudeau, and the prime minister’s office said at the time that he and Biden had agreed “to meet next month.”

Psaki clarified last week in response to a question from The Hill that the meeting would not be in person, saying Biden is unlikely to meet in person with a foreign leader for “a couple of months” due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“I would anticipate for all of you that it will be a couple of months before the president invites a foreign leader to meet in person here at the White House,” Psaki said at a news briefing.