Newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is scheduled to make his first official trip to the White House on March 10 to discuss a number of issues with President Barack Obama. The president and first lady Michelle Obama will welcome Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau, with a rare state dinner, the first for a Canadian leader since 1997, reported Reuters.
"The visit will be an opportunity for the United States and Canada to deepen their bilateral relationship, which is one of the closest and most extensive in the world and is based on a shared history, common values, and a vast and intricate network of cultural, familial, and commercial ties," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said in a statement, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Earnest said Obama and Trudeau will discuss energy, climate change, security and the economy.
The two held their first one-on-one meeting in November at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Manila, Philippines.
Even though Trudeau has pledged to reduce Canada's role in the fight against ISIS and is a proponent of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, which Obama rejected earlier this year, Obama still regards him as a like-minded liberal with whom he hopes to develop close political and personal ties, according to CNN.
"We're going to have Justin down to the White House, hopefully, so we can have a more extensive, expanded bilateral," Obama said after meeting Trudeau in November. "And I'm sure Michelle is going to want a visit with Canada's new first lady."
Trudeau commented that his wife "is going to be very excited to hear about Michelle's garden because she has started a vegetable garden as well in our backyard."
Trudeau, 44, became the second-youngest prime minister in Canada's history after his Liberal Party won a majority of Parliament's 338 seats in October. He was sworn into office on Nov. 4.
Recalling Obama's congratulatory phone call on the night he was elected, Trudeau said, "He said that seeing my family on TV on election night reminded him of his election in 2008 with his family. I'm looking forward to having a beer with him."
Obama has hosted 10 formal state dinners during his tenure, the most recent in September for Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to USA Today.
