Canadian Prime Minster Stephen Harper met with President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C., Friday to discuss trade, security and intelligence, among other topics.
A chief point of discussion addressed a plan to implement joint border inspection agencies, while placing U.S. food inspectors inside Canada, as well as the other way around. Both leaders expressed their desire to have the plan completed within a year.
The meeting also addressed security, namely how law enforcement agencies on both sides of the border routinely share information, but in an informal manner. Proposal to implement a formal agreement has caused many Canadians concern over matters of protecting independence.
"The American government needs to do something, the Canadian government needs to do something, so you'll have the prime minister and the president getting together and instructing their bureaucrats to come up with a plan," security expert Alan Bell told CTV Ottawa.
Bell pointed out how the countries share the longest unprotected border in the world, much of which is merely a line on a map.
However, many experts point out the benefit of U.S. businesses spreading northward as beneficial to the economy. Large U.S. retailers such as Walmart and Target have announced plans to open stores in Canada in coming years.
