Canada To Be ‘More Than A Part’ In US.-Led Coalition Against ISIS

Canada will continue to be a part of the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, says newly appointed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Trudeau had a formal meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama, the first since he joined office earlier in this month. The two heads of the state met on the sidelines of the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Manila.

After the meeting, he told reporters that Canada would remain “more than a part” in the U.S. operation against ISIS militants. He said he had reassured the U.S. president about Canada’s continuous support for the mission.

Trudeau’s announcement may come as a surprise to some as pulling Canadian fighter jets out of the coalition in the Middle East was one of the major promises he based his electoral campaign on. The Associate Press reported saying Trudeau has recently pledged sending more military trainers to Iraq.

Trudeau earlier told reporters that Obama could be responsible for a positive year in Canada-U.S. relations even though the U.S. president was in his final term.

“One of the things I pointed out in our very first conversation on the phone was his focus on getting big things done in his final year -- looking at legacy -- dovetails nicely with my desire to get big things done off the bat in my first year and set the tone for the coming years,” The Globe And Mail quoted the Canadian PM as saying. “So I think there’s a nice dovetailing of a desire to get things done and not put things off. That means we’re going to have a lot to agree on.”

Trudeau said while travelling from Turkey to Manila that one of his priorities would be to talk about “a proper continental approach” in North America.