Biden, Trudeau discuss Haiti crisis, North American trade at Mexico City summit

MEXICO CITY — President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday pledged to promote prosperity for people throughout the hemisphere as they opened wide-ranging talks about the fragile security situation in Haiti, North American trade and political unrest in Brazil on the sidelines of the North American Leaders Summit.

Biden and Trudeau met one-on-one before a three-way meeting with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador at the Mexico City summit. The U.S. and Canadian leaders’ warmth during a brief appearance before reporters at the start of their talks stood in stark contrast to a more brusque exchange a day earlier between Biden and López Obrador, who had complained of “abandonment” and “disdain” for Latin America.

Biden told Trudeau, “What we should be doing, and we are doing, is demonstrating the ... economic potential that we have when we work together ... , and to help the entire hemisphere.”

All three world leaders were to discuss migration, trade and climate change as they look to mend tensions that have divided the continent.

The three-way gathering is held most years, although there was a hiatus while Donald Trump was U.S. president. It’s often called the “three amigos summit,” a reference to the deep diplomatic and economic ties among the countries.

However, the leaders have found themselves at odds, especially as they struggle to handle an influx of migrants and to crack down on smugglers who profit from persuading people to make the dangerous trip to the United States.

In addition, Canada and the U.S. accuse López Obrador of violating a free trade pact by favoring Mexico’s state-owned utility over power plants built by foreign and private investors. Meanwhile, Trudeau and López Obrador are concerned about Biden’s efforts to boost domestic manufacturing, creating concerns that U.S. neighbors could be left behind.

The key takeaways from the summit revolve around better connections among the three nations and a shared goal of a stronger North America on energy and semiconductors, climate and a pledge to cut methane emissions, an agreement to manage migrants coming to the region and a more cohesive regional strategy for future pandemic-related health threats.

The dynamics as the Biden-Trudeau talks opened could not have been more different than for the Biden-López Obrador talks.

During that meeting, the Mexican leader challenged Biden to improve life across the region, telling him that “you hold the key in your hand.”

“This is the moment for us to determine to do away with this abandonment, this disdain ... for Latin America and the Caribbean,” Lopez Obrador said.

Biden responded by pointing to the billions of dollars the U.S. spends in foreign aid around the world.

At the start of Tuesday’s Biden-Trudeau meeting, the leaders spoke familiarly and with optimism. Trudeau called the U.S. president “Joe” and Biden joked with Trudeau — after the Canadian leader had delivered a statement to reporters in English and French — that he should have paid more attention in his college French classes.