Harper, Cannon to head to U.S. in wake of Obama visit
Last Updated: Friday, February 20, 2009 | 6:46 PM ET
The Canadian Press
In the wake of U.S. President Barack Obama's trip to Canada, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and one of his senior ministers will travel to the United States next week.
Afghanistan will be on the agenda for Harper and Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon on their separate trips to New York and Washington.
Officials on both sides of the border say the visits will focus on development issues in Afghanistan, not combat.
The substance of those discussions was announced Friday as White House officials expressed satisfaction with Canada's stated position that it will end its combat role in 2011.
Obama publicly declared during his visit to Ottawa that he did not press Harper for an extended commitment and the president's officials went even further on Friday.
Two American officials told reporters they wanted to discuss a development role for Canada.
"Prime Minister Harper stressed the fact that this was not open for review. They were going to be there until 2011," said James Steinberg, U.S. deputy secretary of state.
"I think, from the president's point of view, the focus was we're going to focus on the other legs of the stool — on the governance issues, on the development issues, on the political strategy."
He said the new U.S. administration wants to hear Canada's opinions as it conducts a strategic review of its own Afghan operations.
Obama has already said he will send at least 17,000 additional American troops to Afghanistan, as combat intensifies and winds down in Iraq.
Harper to meet with Ban Ki Moon
The prime minister will head to New York on Monday for a pair of meetings.
The first — with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon — will focus on global security and on Afghanistan.
A Canadian official, citing security concerns, declined to say whether the recent abduction in Niger of Robert Fowler, a Canadian who is now a UN special envoy, would also be discussed.
Harper has also scheduled a round-table meeting with business leaders. The global financial crisis is likely to be the top item there.
On Tuesday, Cannon will visit Washington for a meeting with his American counterpart, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
American and Canadian officials said the two will talk about Afghanistan and the ongoing U.S. strategic review.
"The prime minister and president set out an agenda yesterday," said a Cannon spokesperson. "Minister Cannon and Secretary Clinton are immediately engaging to deliver on this agenda."
Share Tools
Top News Headlines
- Greece passes new austerity deal amid rioting
- Greek lawmakers have approved harsh new austerity measures demanded by bailout creditors to save the debt-crippled nation from bankruptcy, after riots in Athens and other cities left stores looted and burned and more than 120 people hurt. more »
- Quebec town 'heartbroken' after killing of woman, sisters
- A small Quebec town is in mourning Sunday after a Quebec man was charged with killing his nieces and his mother, who were found dead in their family home. more »
- Houston autopsy results withheld by police
- Whitney Houston was found in a hotel bathtub but it'll take weeks to determine precisely how she died, a Los Angeles coroner's official says. more »
- Musicians who died before their time
- The growing list of musicians who have died young. more »
Latest Canada News Headlines
- Doors blocked in fatal Manitoba trailer blaze
- Four men who died in a residential trailer fire in Selkirk, Man., may not have been able to escape because both of the home's exits were blocked, says a local fire official. more »
- NDP leadership hopefuls face off in Quebec City
- Federal NDP leadership candidates argued over Canada's global standing, climate change and language during a French-only debate in Quebec City on Sunday. more »
- Manitoba man dies after falling off moving SUV
- A 23-year-old man from Elie, Man., has died from injuries he sustained after falling off the outside of a vehicle as it was driving down a highway, according to RCMP. more »
- Vets board member says privacy raided
- A prominent, long-standing member of the country's Veterans Review and Appeal Board had his privacy violated twice in an alleged smear campaign meant to discredit him using his private medical information as ammunition, The Canadian Press has learned. more »
On Tonight's National
Top stories
Shafia Jury Deliberations
- Dan Halton
- The jury in the Shafia murder trial begun deliberations today. Mohammad Shafia, his wife and his son are accused of killing four of their family members. They are charged with four counts of first-degree murder and have all pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Watch the Best of the Show
- Get Connected
- Syria cracks down on protesters, one day before an Arab League delegation arrives.
Stay Connected
- Carolyn Dunn
- An English soccer captain is facing racial abuse charges after an on-field exchange with another player.
The Current
- Panda Diplomacy Feb. 10, 2012 2:43 PM Zoos in Canada are getting ready to welcome two giant pandas despite concerns about whether this will actually generate revenue and awareness about conservation.
- Adele wins best album, best record Grammys
- Houston autopsy results withheld by police
- Quebec town 'heartbroken' after killing of woman, sisters
- Northern lights viewed from space
- Greece passes new austerity deal amid rioting
- Pop queen Whitney Houston dies at 48
- Manitoba man dies after falling off moving SUV
- Doors blocked in fatal Manitoba trailer blaze
- Former Stanley Park petting zoo goats feared slaughtered
