Pompeo visits Ottawa

Photo: The Canadian Press

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has arrived on Parliament Hill for a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ahead of the upcoming G7 summit.

Discussions with the prime minister will centre around a number of hot-button issues, including relations with China and the detention of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor there. Pompeo said it is wrong the two continue to be held.

"Please do know our team is focused on helping those two Canadians be released," he said at a brief photo opportunity with Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland.

"China needs to honour the commitments it's made to the world and it is our expectation they'll do so. We are working on it diligently."

Trudeau thanked the U.S. for its support in that regard, and said he looked forward to discussions about how they could move ahead with getting the two men released.

The G7 countries meet in France this weekend for their annual summit; the last one took place in Canada and ended in a tense spat between Trudeau and U.S. President Donald Trump over trade issues.

Trudeau said he was pleased to welcome Pompeo for the talks ahead of the meeting, noting there was much ground to be covered.

"We'll also be talking about trade, and how important it is to continue to create a global trading system that works for everyone, including our countries."

Getting the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade deal into action is important, Pompeo said.

"We need to get it done. We need Parliament's vote to ratify that, it will be good for people all across North America," he said.