Daijiworld Media Network – Washington

Washington, Aug 21: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand held talks on Thursday on strengthening bilateral cooperation on regional security, economic issues and developments across the Western Hemisphere.

According to a readout issued by the US State Department, the discussions covered Haiti, Venezuela, Cuba and Arctic security, along with efforts to tackle transnational online scam networks.

Haiti was among the key issues discussed, with the United States and Canada reaffirming their cooperation through the Standing Group of Partners in Haiti. Both countries have been working with international partners on addressing the Caribbean nation's security and governance challenges.

Rubio and Anand also discussed emergency earthquake assistance for Venezuela, as well as broader developments concerning the country.

Cuba was another focus of the talks. Rubio stressed the need for what the US State Department described as “immediate, significant, and irreversible reforms” in the country.

The ministers also discussed Arctic security, an increasingly important strategic area for both Washington and Ottawa given their extensive Arctic territories and shared defence interests.

Efforts to combat online scam centres were also part of the discussions. The two countries have been working to address cross-border criminal networks involved in online scams and other forms of transnational cybercrime.

The meeting highlighted Washington and Ottawa's efforts to strengthen coordination on shared economic, security and regional priorities.

The United States and Canada also maintain close defence cooperation through the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which is responsible for aerospace warning and control and maritime warning across North America.

Their economic relationship is governed largely by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement in 2020.