Anticipated, the meeting of the newly elected US president Joe Biden with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will make way for the discussion of issues of common interest for both countries, specifically the US- Canada transport and trade and any related decisions.
The talks are a priority for the citizens of both countries since they directly influence trades like lumber, grains, cattle and energy. The former administration had made decisions unwelcomed fully by Canadians, which turned the negotiations between both countries into a long, arduous diplomatic battle…
In addition, Trudeau and Biden are expected to discuss Washington’s foreign policy, which is usually paralleled by Canada. Prompted by Washington, Canada has probably been acting more strictly than the US when it comes to the tense Canada- China relations; following an order by US judiciary, Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, the CEO of the Hi- tech “Huawei” as while she was transiting Vancouver International Airport.
Concerning the Saudi- Emirati war on Yemen, the Yemenis’ resilience has impeded the US- backed war industry, and so Washington is now calling for ceasefire and a political solution. Canada, in the meantime, is still shipping armoured vehicles and arms to Saudi Arabia and obviously violating Canadian and international laws, which prohibit selling weaponry to war criminals or suppressors of people’s freedoms.
The only reasons still pushing Ottawa to do so are Ottawa’s financial ambitions and the fear of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, whose violations of human rights have been exposed in different incidents; Saudi fugitives have sought refuge in Canada, including a senior intelligence officer that Riyadh is trying to reclaim…
Another foreign-policy issue is the worsening case of the downed Ukrainian plane. US drones had assassinated General Qassim Soleimani in Baghdad International Airport. Soon afterwards Iran struck two US bases in Iraq, and gave a maximum-alert order to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. A mistake was, thus, elicited, claiming the lives of the passengers, most of whom were Iranian Canadians.
Even though the incident was a pressing chance for rapprochement so that both countries could provide consular and humanitarian services for the victims’ families, some Canadian Foreign Ministry officials insisted on distrusting Iran’s measures. Iranian Prime Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif has even been recently accused of being the speaker in a leaked voice record the Canadian intelligence has obtained. In the record, it is stated there might have been different reasons for the downing of the Ukrainian plane, contrary to Tehran’s authorities’ statement.
Consequently, Iran has denied CBC’s recent allegations, stressing Iran’s readiness to cooperate according to international laws and refusing any fabricated intelligence leaks.
Whereas Washington has declared readiness to return to talks on the nuclear deal with Tehran, Canada will be pressured by the Zionist lobby and the Iranian opposition groups that have been providing fabricated information and creating tensions to prevent any possible rapprochement. That’s the case even though Canada’s big Iranian community does need the diplomatic ties between both countries.
So who’s going to change the Liberals’ minds? Will Washington be a step ahead of Ottawa as to doing what makes sense and bringing back ties with Tehran? Will Ottawa remain prisoner to a monarchy which has shown more haughtiness than the US’s? Or will the Biden- Trudeau summit yield a more moderate foreign policy?
The Editors