As Former Guest Canadian Prime Minister Visits US, Joe Issa Urges Support for Jamaica’s Trading Position
Executive Chairman of Cool Group of Companies, Joe Issa, has reacted to White House news that President Barack Obama will welcome Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for talks on March 10, 2016 making it the Liberal Party leader’s first official visit since coming to office in November last year
According to Washington AFP, “the US president and First Lady Michelle Obama will also host a state dinner for Trudeau and his wife, Sophie GregoireTrudeau, on the same date. “As a former guest who has become prime minister of one of the largest countries in our hemisphere, I am indeed interested in his visit to the US and what impact, if any, it will have on Jamaica’s trading relation with the two countries. “I’m also interested in the outcome of their bilateral and multilateral discussions, particularly on climate change, in view of the lessthandesirable cap on global warming agreed upon at Last December’s Paris Conference and the uncertainties surrounding the achievement of that target,” says Issa, who is an advocate against global warming. Issa says that given the fact that the Caribbean is most at risk of high impact by rising sea level, he would urge the Canadian prime minister to support the region in its claim for urgent consideration in provisions for climate change.
Issa, who has hosted both the father, former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau who had an affinity for Jamaica, and his son Justin Trudeau who loves the Jamaican atmosphere, says he is also interested in the outcome of the talks as Justin, during one of his many visits to Jamaica, had in conversation, maintained an interest in oneday building on the successes of his father. Following his victory at the polls Issa congratulated Justin Trudeau and encouraged both local and international the new Canadian Prime Minister to continue to be a strong ally of Jamaica, while at the same time cautioning the country against being complacent. According to the AFP article, “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…The visit also is intended to advance cooperation on important bilateral and multilateral issues, such as energy and climate change, security, and the economy.”