{UAH} Trudeau greets U.S. president, Mexican counterpart for Three Amigos summit

Trudeau greets U.S. president, Mexican counterpart for Three Amigos summit

The Canadian PressJune 29, 2016

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (centre), Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto (left) and U.S. President Barack Obama take part in the North American Leaders Summit at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa on Wednesday, June 29, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau greeted U.S. President Barack Obama with a warm hug Wednesday as the two prepared to sit down with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto for the North American Leaders' Summit.

Earlier in the day, Obama's familiar Air Force One aircraft touched down in Ottawa for what is widely expected to be his last visit to Canada as president. He was greeted by Governor General David Johnston, Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion and a large group of officials and dignitaries.

A towering convoy of black limousines and SUVs — including the heavily armoured presidential Cadillac nicknamed "The Beast" — ferried the president to the National Gallery of Canada, not far from Parliament Hill.

Obama was scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Pena Nieto before sitting down with Trudeau for what's colloquially known as the Three Amigos summit, which is expected to focus on clean energy and climate change.

The Mexican president, who has been on a state visit to Canada since Monday, is to sign on to a Canada-U.S. pledge to cut methane emissions 40 to 45 per cent below 2012 levels by 2025.

The trio will also announce plans to achieve 50 per cent clean power generation across North America by 2025, including renewable energy, nuclear power, carbon capture and storage and increased energy efficiency.

On Tuesday, Trudeau and Pena Nieto cleared away long-standing trade and travel irritants: Canada will lift its controversial visa requirement for Mexican visitors before the end of the year while Mexico will end restrictions on Canadian beef imports.

The two leaders touted the relationship between their countries as a model of political and economic co-operation, in sharp contrast to the growing strains of protectionism and isolation sweeping the United States and Britain — a theme that was widely expected to dominate Wednesday's summit.

The trio were scheduled to hold a joint news conference at the conclusion of the summit later Wednesday afternoon.

Following that, Obama was scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Trudeau before capping his daylong visit to the national capital — likely his last as the U.S. president — with an address to Parliament.

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Gwokto La'Kitgum

"Even a small dog can piss on a tall Building", Jim Hightower

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