Washington, Nov 19 (IANS): US President Joe Biden hosted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador at the White Housefor their first North American Leaders' Summit for the first time since 2016.

On Thursday, Biden met separately with Trudeau and Obrador ahead of the three-person summit, which was shunned by former US President Donald Trump, reports Xinhua news agency.

During the summit, the three leaders "reiterated our strong ties and integration, and willingness to chart a new path for our partnership at a time when we face incredibly complex global challenges", the White House said in a statement.

The leaders pledged to take concrete actions in support of their joint goals, including ending the Covid-19 pandemic and advancing global health, fostering competitiveness and creating the conditions for equitable growth, as well as coordinating a regional response to migration, it added.

Addressing the media, Biden said that "we can meet all the challenges if we just take the time to speak with one another — by working together".

"And we have to end the pandemic and to take decisive actions to curb the climate crisis," he said.

"We have to drive an inclusive economic recovery and make sure all of our people share in the benefits, to have to manage the challenges of unprecedented migration into our hemisphere, and to take on inequity that continues to deny opportunity to too many people."

According to the President, efforts like increasing supply chain resilience and reliance; worker protections; improving cybersecurity; and helping small and medium businesses thrive in the Northern Hemisphere can further strengthen the region.