FOREIGN MINISTER JOLY: Well, welcome, Tony, to Ottawa. It's great to have you in town and actually also to show you my hometown tomorrow, Montreal. We have a very strong relationship between Canada and the U.S., based on our shared history, common values, and a very strong friendship. And also thank you for your friendship, because it's been really terrific working with you over the last year. And at the same time, we're facing many global challenges, so let's get to work.
(In French via interpreter) It's a pleasure for me to host you here, of course, in Ottawa and tomorrow in Montreal, at my hometown. We have a friendship between the two of us, but it's also based on a friendship between our two countries, Canada and the U.S. Now we're dealing with huge international challenges, so let's get to work.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you so much, Mélanie. It's wonderful to be back in Canada. I say technically back in Canada, because my very first visit technically as Secretary of State was a virtual visit to Canada, but there is nothing like actually being here and being here with my partner and friend, Mélanie Joly.
As the foreign minister said, we have been working incredibly closely together, quite literally around the world, including most recently in Washington just a few weeks ago.
FOREIGN MINISTER JOLY: Yes, yeah.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: And the challenges that we face, as she said, are real and are significant. But precisely because we're facing them together as friends, as allies, as partners, that gives me tremendous optimism and confidence about the future. The United States and Canada, working together as closely as we are, makes a big difference for our own people and around the world.
(In French via interpreter) I'm very happy to be back in Canada. This is my second visit, because we had a virtual visit at the beginning of my term, but I'm here now. It's important because we have challenges, as my friend Mélanie said, but if we deal with these challenges together, as is the case between U.S. and Canada, we will succeed, succeed for our citizens but succeed also for countries around the world. And I also applaud not only our partnership but our friendship facing these challenges. As Mélanie said, let's get to work.
