WASHINGTON (AFP) — Barack Obama is looking forward to his visit to Canada which will be the first foreign trip of his presidency and underscore close ties between the two vast neighbors, his spokesman said.
Word first came from Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper's office at the weekend that the US president-elect would travel north of the border after his inauguration on January 20.
On Monday, his spokesman Robert Gibbs officially confirmed the trip, but did not give details of when it would take place or where exactly in Canada Obama would go.
"President-elect Barack Obama looks forward to his visit to Canada," Gibbs said.
"It will be the first foreign trip of his presidency underscoring the importance of the relationship between the United States and Canada."
US presidents have often made their first trip abroad to Canada, which is the largest trade partner of the United States.
Obama's trip will likely highlight remarks he made in the campaign that he would seek to amend the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) which groups the United States, Canada and Mexico.
On Monday, Obama met Mexican President Felipe Calderon in Washington in his first in-person meeting with a world leader since he won the elections on November 4.
In an earlier statement, Gibbs said Obama expressed to Calderon his "continued commitment" to upgrading NAFTA to strengthen environmental and labor provisions.
Obama also "proposed the creation of a consultative group to work on a host of issues important to the United States and Mexico, including NAFTA, energy and infrastructure," Gibbs said.
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