Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Saturday he had held lengthy, substantive talks with U.S. President Donald Trump and the two countries were making progress towards a trade deal, though they had yet to reach an agreement.
Carney, who is in the Philippines for a state visit and meetings with Southeast Asian leaders, said the discussions with Trump had been detailed and constructive, but stopped short of saying a deal was close.
He also said Canada would not walk away from NATO, and that the security architecture for a free Europe would be determined by a free Europe and NATO, not by Russia.
Trump is due to arrive in Manila on Tuesday for the ASEAN summit, where the leaders of the United States, Japan, Australia and India — the Quad group of Indo-Pacific powers — are expected to meet on the sidelines. It would be the first Quad leaders' meeting since Trump returned to office last year, and the supply of critical minerals is expected to be on the agenda.
Carney gave no further details of the discussions, and neither leader has said when an agreement might be reached.
