OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Donald Trump will participate in a roundtable discussion about women in the work force Monday, an early sign of cooperation as Trudeau seeks to have good relations so Canada is not targeted in trade talks.
In his first face-to-face meeting with the new U.S president, Trudeau will also meet with Trump to talk about trade and participate in a working lunch.
A White House official and a senior Canadian government official said the two countries plan to launch a new task force called the United States Canada Council for the Advancement of Women Business Leaders-Female Entrepreneurs. The officials agreed to confirm the move only if they were not quoted by name because they were not authorized to make the information public.
Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter who has been an advocate for policies benefiting working women, was involved in recruiting participants and setting the agenda for the roundtable. Female executives from the United States and Canada are expected to participate.
Trudeau’s close cooperation with Trump and the first daughter could ease some worries among Canadians that the U.S. president will enact protectionist measures that could hurt the Canadian economy. It could also alleviate some fears that Trump will be as combative with Trudeau as he has been with the leaders of Mexico and Australia.