Prime Minister Stephen Harper and U.S. President Barack
Obama are seeking a sweeping deal to establish a North American security and
trade perimeter, opening talks Friday that could lead to jointly operated
Canada-U.S. border facilities, an integrated entry-exit system to track
travellers and the deployment of “cross-designated” law enforcement officers to
intercept terrorists and criminals.
Harper touted the plan as vital to both the safety and
prosperity of Canadians, even as critics expressed concerns a future agreement
with the U.S. could
compromise the nation’s sovereignty.
“This declaration is not about sovereignty. We are
sovereign countries who have the capacity to act as we choose to act,” Harper
told reporters following an hour-long White House meeting with Obama.
“It is in Canada’s interests to work with our partners in
the United States to ensure that our borders are secure and ensure that we can
trade and travel across them as safely and as openly as possible, within the
context of our different laws. And that is what we’re trying to achieve...”
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