MR PATEL: Hey all people, good afternoon, and thanks a lot for becoming a member of us at present for this press name on Secretary Blinken’s journey to Canada, particularly Ottawa and Montreal. This name is on the report however embargoed till the decision’s conclusion.
Becoming a member of us at present we now have Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian Nichols. We can have a while for some questions on the tail finish. However with that, I’ll flip it over to the assistant secretary.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY NICHOLS: Thanks all for becoming a member of us at present for this preview of Secretary Blinken’s journey to Canada on October twenty seventh and twenty eighth. The Secretary will journey to Ottawa and Montreal, the place he plans to fulfill with a few of our closest companions to debate a full vary of urgent regional and international challenges, and to strengthen our closed and enduring partnership.
On October twenty seventh, Secretary Blinken will meet with Prime Minister Trudeau and International Minister Mélanie Joly in Ottawa. His assembly will give attention to addressing international points, together with Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific, and Haiti, in addition to the Arctic area. The Secretary will even showcase our dedication to continental protection and safety, and cooperation on migration within the Americas and around the globe. He’ll go to a neighborhood heart that gives help to Ukrainian refugees, together with Deputy Prime Minister Freeland and International Minister Joly.
In Montreal, Secretary Blinken will be part of International Minister Joly for discussions with a various set of native communities to listen to their views on at present’s challenges. He’ll give attention to selling North American competitiveness by deepening financial and provide chain cooperation, and he’ll go to a lithium recycling facility in Quebec.
Let me communicate briefly in regards to the function of Secretary Blinken’s journey. As President Biden stated earlier this yr, america has no nearer buddy than Canada. The USA and Canada have been buddies, companions, and allies for over 150 years, working collectively to advance shared priorities. All ranges of this administration – in any respect ranges of this administration, our relationship with Canada is nearer than ever. Guided by our shared democratic values of freedom, equality, rule of legislation, and respect for human rights, we work aspect by aspect to advertise the enduring basis for safety and prosperity in our hemisphere and around the globe.
This journey will improve North American financial safety and competitiveness as Secretary Blinken and his Canadian counterparts focus on how our international locations can work collectively and with the personal sector on the clear power transition in North America, our work in the direction of additional USMCA implementation, and selling our shared protection below NATO and NORAD. They will even handle a set of vital international points, together with ongoing challenges in Ukraine, in Haiti, and with migration all through the Americas and the world.
We’re additionally prioritizing our response to the urgent problem of local weather change and international well being safety. We recognize the chance to fulfill with PM Trudeau and International Minister Joly subsequent week and sit up for working aspect by aspect to advertise safety and prosperity in our hemisphere and around the globe.
Thanks very a lot, and I’m pleased to take a number of questions.
MR PATEL: Thanks a lot, Assistant Secretary. Operator, would you thoughts repeating directions on find out how to ask questions?
OPERATOR: As soon as once more, if you need to ask a query, press 1 then 0 in your phone keypad.
MR PATEL: Nice. We’ll give a second for the queue to refill, after which I’ll name on people. One second.
Let’s first go to the road of Simon Lewis with Reuters.
QUESTION: Hello, thanks for doing this. Only one query in regards to the – you talked about the truth that Haiti is sort of on the agenda throughout these talks with Canadian counterparts. I puzzled, particularly given your go to, Assistant Secretary, your go to to Haiti the opposite week and the requires a joint safety activity drive, are you hopeful that you could possibly get an settlement for Canada to hitch such a activity drive throughout this journey? Is that form of the objective of the journey? And likewise, your – I’d have an interest to get your broader evaluation on the possibilities of getting such a activity drive collectively and when which may occur. Thanks.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY NICHOLS: Thanks very a lot. Canada and america have been main companions for the Haitian folks in offering help throughout humanitarian, financial, and safety areas for a few years. The USA and Canada have labored collectively round donors’ conferences to offer further help to the Haitian folks in addition to the Haitian Nationwide Police over the course of this yr. We’ve collectively raised over $240 million in new help for Haiti by that course of. And Prime Minister Trudeau hosted a high-level assembly on Haiti on the margins of the UN Normal Meeting in September.
So we now have a protracted historical past of working collectively to assist the Haitian folks, and at this important second with safety and well being conditions in Haiti at a really vital part, we anticipate to deepen these conversations. I’m very optimistic that the worldwide neighborhood and the Safety Council will come collectively round one other decision that will create a multinational drive for Haiti. I believe the composition of that effort shall be one thing that we focus on, on condition that Haiti is a precedence for each international locations.
MR PATEL: Thanks a lot. Let’s subsequent go to Alex Panetta with the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.
QUESTION: Yeah, I simply wished to comply with up on that final query. I’m simply questioning when you have any particular concepts about areas the place Canada could possibly be helpful on the Haiti subject. I don’t know whether or not it’s safety, humanitarian – simply principally elaborating on what position you’ll counsel Canada might play.
And only a fast factor in regards to the lithium plant. Can I get a way what it’s precisely the – what’s the explanation the Secretary’s visiting that plant? Is there something about provide chains or sourcing from China? I’m simply questioning what the target is and why that plant was chosen as a spot to go to. Thanks.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY NICHOLS: So I’ll take the second half first. Touring the Litheon manufacturing unit is – Litheon is the corporate – it’s a possibility to see how lithium batteries may be recycled and used once more and put again into the automotive or different power storage provide chain in a method that can construct on our North American vehicle provide chain, the North American vehicle cooperation between Canada, america, and Mexico. That was the primary provide chain to be really built-in, and the truth that we’re transferring this into the twenty first century with EV manufacturing is extremely necessary.
However even higher is the concept that we will reuse batteries sooner or later, recycle them, so {that a} useful resource that’s crucial however not all the time simple to acquire, lithium, is reused in a productive method. And I believe that’s going to create good, high-paying jobs for the folks of North America.
Turning to your first query, Canada’s an extremely succesful accomplice throughout a complete host of areas. Canada has unimaginable growth expertise. It has very succesful armed forces, in addition to a nationwide police drive. These are necessary expertise within the worldwide neighborhood, and extra broadly, it’s a revered nation and chief on the complete vary of points. And whereas we’re speaking about Haiti at this second, we’re additionally having conversations about our cooperation to help the Ukrainian folks. And I simply wish to underscore that Canada has been a terrific chief there as nicely. We work with Canada on so many points, and we’ll be speaking to them in regards to the full vary of worldwide challenges that we face collectively.
MR PATEL: Thanks a lot. Let’s subsequent go to the road of Jackie Charles with Miami Herald.
QUESTION: (Inaudible) for doing this. Simply two fast questions. I imply, are you able to elaborate just a little bit extra? I imply, as a result of once we talked to the Canadians, they stated to me, like, whenever you take a look at 75 years of Canada historical past, you don’t see Canada taking a lead. So what has modified to make you assured that Canada is all in favour of taking – in taking the lead of the drive in Haiti?
And now secondly, in 2015 Samantha Energy, the U.S. ambassador to the UN, pushed and succeeded to get MONUSCO out of Haiti, speaking in regards to the financial constraints of peacekeeping forces across the globe. However at present the U.S. decision on a drive, on a fast response drive, is in peril. What does this say in regards to the U.S.’s energy on the Safety Council or Haiti fatigue?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY NICHOLS: Effectively, first, I strongly disagree with the concept that a decision authorizing a multinational drive is in peril. I don’t assume it’s in peril. I believe you noticed first final Friday the passage of – unanimously for the primary time in 5 years – a decision out of the Safety Council authorizing new sanctions and – to concentrating on gang leaders and people who help them. And I believe that’s indicative of sturdy worldwide neighborhood help for the folks of Haiti and a solution to the decision that the secretary-general made. And I’ve talked to dozens of accomplice nations around the globe in regards to the scenario in Haiti, and there’s sturdy help for a multinational drive. The need to contribute in no matter methods nations really feel that they are often useful I believe could be very widespread in our hemisphere and past.
The nation that would be the lead in that effort has not been decided. I don’t wish to give the impression that that may be a predetermined choice. However I do imagine that there are a variety of nations which have the talents to do this, and amongst these international locations is Canada nevertheless it’s not the one nation that may try this. I believe that extra broadly we see a recognition that the worldwide neighborhood must act to assist the Haitian folks, to answer the decision of the Haitian prime minister and cupboard and the secretary-general to handle the safety scenario, the cholera outbreak, meals insecurity, and all the opposite challenges that the Haitian folks face proper now.
MR PATEL: Subsequent let’s go to Dylan Robertson with The Canadian Press.
QUESTION: Hello. Thanks for taking our questions. I’m largely going to lob two of them collectively. I’m making an attempt to know the principle function of the journey simply on condition that Minister Joly was down in Washington lower than a month in the past. And I’m additionally questioning for those who might make clear the half in your launch about advancing cooperation on migration and refugee resettlement, if that’s in regards to the Protected Third Nation Settlement or the dispute over NEXUS or one thing else completely.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY NICHOLS: So that you don’t want an excuse to go to a buddy and neighbor, although Secretary Blinken has not been to Canada in his present place, and it’s necessary – I do know he very a lot desires to go to and that’s why we’re going. The scheduling has taken a short time to work out, however we work with our Canadian companions on the highest ranges throughout our authorities frequently, and it’s necessary that we go to and have interaction and see one another in particular person in addition to by the – all the opposite technique of communication that we now have every day.
As President Biden stated, we now have no nearer buddy or higher ally than Canada, and we wish to speak in regards to the broad vary of points. With regard to migration, Canada and america are the 2 largest recipients of refugees around the globe, and we’re dedicated to addressing each our hemisphere’s and extra broadly the worldwide migration disaster the world faces. There are hundred million migrants on the transfer globally, and plenty of of them are in our hemisphere. Canada has taken a management position in receiving Ukrainian and Syrian and Afghan migrants, in addition to migrants from our personal hemisphere, as demonstrated within the actually strong diaspora communities which can be in Canada. And we wish to reveal to the world that being a recipient of migrants is usually a very constructive factor for economies, cultures, cooperations, respect for human rights, and the dynamism of our societies, and there’s no higher place to point out our cooperation in that space than Canada.
MR PATEL: Thanks a lot. Subsequent let’s go to Michael Wilner with McClatchy.
QUESTION: Hello, thanks for doing this. I recognize the way you outlined that numerous international locations across the hemisphere wish to contribute to this effort in Haiti, however as you talked about, you stated that the nation that can lead this effort has not been decided. The USA just isn’t providing to steer it. We perceive that the French have dominated it out. We perceive that there are numerous international locations which have dominated out sending troops. So how lengthy, given the urgency that’s been expressed by the U.S., the secretary-general, by the Haitians, do you anticipate this course of to take? And why isn’t there a pacesetter recognized but? What’s the hesitancy, each in your half in addition to your companions?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY NICHOLS: The multinational drive, as requested by the Haitian Authorities and as has – additional fleshed out by the secretary‑common, can be largely a police drive with a navy element. The worldwide neighborhood, I believe, every nation desires to know what position that they’d play. And let me stress that america will play an lively and strong position, however that position shall be centered on our areas of power. And we glance to our accomplice nations across the hemisphere and around the globe to contribute towards their strengths.
How that that dialog strikes ahead about who brings what to the desk is ongoing and lively. I’m very assured that this can transfer ahead in a holistic method to offer an entire resolution to this problem. And as every nation appears at its position, it’s additionally taking a look at what are the others bringing to the desk. These are lively conversations. And I anticipate that because the dialogue of the decision of the Safety Council strikes ahead within the coming days, the management of the drive will turn into clear. And I’m assured that we’ll have one thing in – early in November, each a decision and management for the drive. So I believe issues are transferring very a lot on schedule.
MR PATEL: Thanks a lot. All proper, all people, thanks a lot for becoming a member of at present’s press briefing. As I stated, this name was on the report however embargoed till the decision concludes, which shall be momentarily. Thanks all for becoming a member of us and we’ll speak to you all once more quickly.
