FRONT OF THE SCHOOL.
OFFICIALS SAY BOTH ARE EXPECTED
TO SURVIVE.
>>> PRESIDENT BIDEN IS KICKING
OFF HIS LONG AWAITED VISIT TO
CANADA TODAY.
>> YEAH, THIS TRIP MARKS THE
PRESIDENT’S FIRST OFFICIAL VISIT
TO THE CLOSE ALLY AND NEIGHBOR
SINCE HIS INAUGURATION IN 2021.
NBC NEWS WHITE HOUSE
CORRESPONDENT MONICA ALVA JOINS
US FROM OTTAWA WITH MORE ON
THIS.
MONICA, GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
IF YOU WOULD, WALK US THROUGH
THE PRESIDENT’S PLAN FOR THIS
TRIP.
WHAT ARE WE EXPECTING THERE?
>> Reporter: YEAH, TYPICALLY
WITH MOST PRESIDENTS IN THE LAST
COUPLE OF DECADES, STEVEN AND
JOE, CANADA WOULD BE THE FIRST
FOREIGN TRIP THEY WOULD MAKE,
CERTAINLY IT WAS PRESIDENT JOE
BIDEN’S FIRST PHONE CALL AFTER
HE WAS SWORN INTO OFFICE TO
STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS
RELATIONSHIP AND NOW REALLY A
TON OF ISSUES ON THE AGENDA HERE
TO DISCUSS WHEN THE PRESIDENT
AND FIRST LADY ARRIVE LATER
TONIGHT.
THEY WILL BE MEETING WITH THE
GOVERNOR GENERAL HERE AND THEN
THEY WILL BE SITTING DOWN WITH
PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU
AND HIS WIFE MRS. SOPHIE TRUDEAU
TO TALK ABOUT A LITANY OF THINGS
AND WE GOT A LITTLE MORE
PERSPECTIVE, AGAIN, ON THE
IMPORTANCE OF THIS BILATERAL
RELATIONSHIP FROM WHITE HOUSE
SPOKESMAN JOHN KIRBY YESTERDAY.
>> WE’RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT OUR
TWO DEMOCRACIES STEPPING UP TO
MEET THE CHALLENGES OF OUR TIME.
THAT INCLUDES TAKING CONCRETE
STEPS TO INCREASE DEFENSE
SPENDING, DRIVING A GLOBAL RACE
TO THE TOP ON CLEAN ENERGY AND
BUILDING PROSPEROUS AND
INCLUSIVE ECONOMIES.
>> Reporter: THEY WILL ALSO, OF
COURSE, BE TALKING ABOUT
MIGRATION.
WE’VE SEEN THOSE REPORTS IN THE
LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS.
ON THE NORTHERN BORDER
SPECIFICALLY YOU SEE MEXICAN
MIGRANTS WHO FLY ALL THE WAY UP
TO CANADA TO CROSS INTO THE
UNITED STATES AND THEN YOU ALSO
SAW ADMIRAL KIRBY MENTION
DEFENSE SPENDING.
THE PRESIDENT AND PRIME MINISTER
ARE GOING TO BE TALKING ALSO
ABOUT NORAD IN THE CONTEXT OF
AERIAL OBJECTS THAT WERE SHOT
DOWN IN THE LAST MONTH OR SO,
REMEMBER, ALL OF THAT HAPPENED
OVER THE YUKON AND OVER LAKE
HURON AND IT REALLY WAS A MAJOR
COORDINATION STRATEGY BETWEEN
THE U.S. AND CANADA TO DEAL WITH
THOSE FLYING UNIDENTIFIED
OBJECTS THAT WE STILL DON’T HAVE
A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT.
>> MONICA, ANOTHER ISSUE WE KNOW
THE TWO LEADERS HAVE BEEN
DEBATING IS THE U.S. PROPOSAL TO
SEND A SPECIALIZED ARMED FORCE
TO HAITI TO HELP THAT COUNTRY’S
POLICE RESTORE ORDER.
CAN WE EXPECT ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS
ON THAT DURING THIS TRIP?
>> Reporter: IT’S POSSIBLE AND
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT REALLY
HAS BEEN DISCUSSED BETWEEN THE
TWO LEADERS AND ALSO WAS A BIG
TOPIC OF CONVERSATION AT THE
NORTH AMERICAN LEADERS SUMMIT IN
MEXICO CITY IN JANUARY WHERE THE
U.S. ACTUALLY ASKED CANADA TO
TAKE THE LEAD ON THIS ISSUE
WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT CANADA
IS A LITTLE BIT HESITANT ABOUT
BECAUSE THEY’RE NOT SURE THEY
WANT TO PUT THEIR OWN BOOTS ON
THE GROUND OR ADDITIONAL
PERSONNEL IN HAITI, OF COURSE,
THERE HAS BEEN A MAJOR RISE IN
KIDNAPPINGS, IN VIOLENCE AND SO
THEY WANT TO HAVE A MORE
CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE ABOUT WHAT
WOULD BE MOST HELPFUL.
YOU SEE THERE ARE SOME
STATISTICS ABOUT THE LATEST GANG
VIOLENCE AND SOMETHING, OF
COURSE, WE’VE SEEN WITH
KIDNAPPINGS THAT HAVE REALLY
ESCALATED AGAIN IN RECENT MONTHS
AND YEARS, SO CANADA WANTS TO
ASK THE U.S. TO MAYBE COME UP
WITH SOME OTHER OPTIONS THAT
COULD BE MORE IDEAL.
THEY FEEL, AND THEY AS THE U.S.
CONTINUES TO EXERT THAT PRESSURE