US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday the issue of how the United States is going to "take over Canada" will not be discussed at a gathering of G7 foreign ministers due to take place in Quebec.
The foreign ministers of the Group of Seven major democracies — Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States — will meet at the river resort of La Malbaie, Quebec on March 12-14 for the first time since President Donald Trump returned to power in January.
When asked by reporters about Trump's comments on making Canada the 51st US state, Rubio instead talked about the areas of cooperation between the United States and Canada including the defence of North American airspace and Ukraine.
"We're going to be focused in the G7 on all of those things. That's what the meeting is about. It is not a meeting about how we're going to take over Canada," he said.
US ties with Canada have soured following Trump's repeated comments about Washington's northern neighbour being its 51st US state and the Republican president referring to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as its "governor".
TRT Global - The increase of the tariffs set to take effect on Wednesday is a response to the price increases that the provincial government of Ontario put on electricity sold to the United States.
Trump’s tariff war
The two neighbours are locked in a trade war.
Trump increased tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from Canada, accusing the country of failing to do enough to stem the flow of the deadly fentanyl opioid and its precursor chemicals into the US and also as he moves to reorder global trade norms in favour of the United States.
Rubio said Trump was not singling out any country but trying to help develop a domestic industrial capability as the current situation threatened US national security in the long run.
The top US diplomat said despite these tensions, he expected to have constructive conversations with G7 allies.
"I think it is quite possible that we could do these things and at the same time deal in a constructive way with our allies and friends and partners on all the other issues that we work together on. And that's what I expect out of the G7 in Canada," Rubio said.
TRT Global - Global markets fell sharply in response to the escalating trade war, with the S&P 500 - a major Wall Street index - extending recent losses to erase all of its gains since Trump's US election victory in November.
