Washington, Aug 21 (IANS) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand discussed Haiti, Venezuela, Arctic security and reforms in Cuba as the two neighbouring countries moved to strengthen coordination on shared regional priorities.
Rubio met Anand on Thursday, according to a readout issued by the US State Department. The discussions covered security and economic issues, as well as challenges affecting the Western Hemisphere.
The meeting highlighted the continued US-Canada partnership on the Standing Group of Partners in Haiti.
Haiti was listed first among the shared priorities reaffirmed by Rubio. Washington and Ottawa have continued to coordinate their approach to the Caribbean nation through the group referenced in the readout.
The two ministers also discussed emergency earthquake assistance to Venezuela.
Venezuela and Cuba were among the two country-specific issues addressed during the meeting, underlining the focus on developments across the Americas.
On Cuba, Rubio stressed what the State Department described as the need for “immediate, significant, and irreversible reforms”.
The talks also covered Arctic security, an area in which the United States and Canada have extensive territorial, defence and strategic interests.
Rubio and Anand further discussed joint efforts to end online scam centres.
The inclusion of online scam operations placed transnational cyber-enabled crime alongside more traditional foreign policy and security concerns. Both governments have an interest in countering operations that cross national borders and target victims in multiple countries.
The State Department said the meeting was intended to strengthen coordination on shared security, economic and regional priorities.
Washington and Ottawa also cooperate through the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, on continental aerospace warning, aerospace control and maritime warning. Their economic relationship is anchored in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement in 2020.
–IANS
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