April 23, 2004
Ottawa, Ontario

NEWS RELEASE

Prime Minister Paul Martin will visit Washington, D.C. on April 29 and 30, 2004 for meetings with US President George W. Bush and congressional and other non-governmental leaders.

This will be the second face-to-face meeting between the Prime Minister and President, following on their January 13 meeting in Monterrey, Mexico.

"Because the Canada-U.S. relationship is so central to our respective interests, we must develop a more sophisticated relationship based on informed dialogue, shared values and respect for our differences," said the Prime Minister. "While I do not anticipate major breakthroughs, I look forward to advancing issues that are of critical importance to Canadians as we place our working relationship on a firm footing."

On April 29, the Prime Minister will deliver a keynote address to the "Director's Forum", a gathering jointly hosted by the Center for Global Development and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Following the address, the Prime Minister will participate in a roundtable discussion with Washington think tank representatives, hosted by Lee Hamilton, President and Director of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. On Thursday afternoon, the Prime Minister will attend a series of meetings with Senate and House leaders.

The Prime Minister will participate in a breakfast roundtable on April 30 with representatives of several non-governmental organizations (NGOs), hosted by the Centre for Global Development. The discussion will be an opportunity to exchange innovative ideas on global development, including how NGOs can help further the recommendations of the UN Commission on Private Sector and Development, and the role that they can play in advocating for the provision of lower cost medicines for developing countries.

The Prime Minister will then meet with President Bush in the Oval Office and continue their discussions over a lunch in the White House. The Prime Minister will raise a number of bilateral issues, including BSE and softwood lumber. In both cases, he will press for a resumption of normal trade. The Prime Minister will also update President Bush on Canada’s substantial progress on national security. The two leaders will discuss ongoing border cooperation, the global campaign against terrorism, the environment, and exchange views on a wide range of multilateral issues, including Haiti, Afghanistan, the Middle East, as well as the upcoming G-8 Summit at Sea Island, Georgia.

The Prime Minister will be accompanied in Washington by Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham, International Trade Minister Jim Peterson, Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Bob Speller and Scott Brison, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister for Canada-U.S. Relations.

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