The foreign ministers of the Group of Seven major democracies - Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States - will meet at the river resort of La Malbaie, Quebec on March 12-14 for the first time since President Donald Trump returned to power in January.
When asked by reporters about Trump's comments on making Canada the 51st U.S. state, Rubio instead talked about the areas of cooperation between the United States and Canada including defense of North American airspace and Ukraine.
"We're going to be focused in the G7 on all of those things. That's what the meeting is about. It is not a meeting about how we're going to take over Canada," he said.
U.S. ties with Canada have soured following Trump's repeated comments about Washington's northern neighbor being its 51st U.S. state and the Republican president referring to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as its "governor".
The two neighbors are also locked in a trade war. Trump increased tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada, accusing the country of failing to do enough to stem the flow of the deadly fentanyl opioid and its precursor chemicals into the U.S. and also as he moves to reorder global trade norms in favor of the United States.
Rubio said Trump was not singling out any country but trying to help develop a domestic industrial capability as the current situation threatened U.S. national security in the long run.
The top U.S. diplomat said despite these tensions, he expected to have constructive conversations with G7 allies.
"I think it is quite possible that we could do these things and at the same time deal in a constructive way with our allies and friends and partners on all the other issues that we work together on. And that's what I expect out of the G7 in Canada," Rubio said.
U.S. President Donald Trump has again said Iran is keen to reach a deal quickly, but a senior Iranian security official rejected the claim, saying ...
A Danish military helicopter came within “metres” of being struck by flares fired by a Russian warship, Denmark's Defence...
A Russian strike on a farm warehouse in Pryluky, north-central Ukraine, has killed at least three people, local police said. Meanwhile, EU foreign ...
Maritime trackers received new reports of an attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), adding to concerns about energy supplies after Saudi Arabia shut down a vital oil pipeline on Saturday.
U.S. Central Command said 101 commercial vessels have been redirected in the Strait of Hormuz, while oil prices rose more than three per cent amid fresh regional attacks and supply concerns.
U.S. President Donald Trump has again said Iran is keen to reach a deal quickly, but a senior Iranian security official rejected the claim, saying Tehran will not negotiate until its conditions are met.
A Russian strike on a farm warehouse in Pryluky, north-central Ukraine, has killed at least three people, local police said. Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said an attack on a train near the Polish border was an attempt to intimidate Ukraine's allies.
A Danish military helicopter came within “metres” of being struck by flares fired by a Russian warship, Denmark's Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus said on Tuesday. Russia accused Denmark of carrying out “dangerous manoeuvres” near its ship, and said it was investigating the incident.
A Danish military helicopter came within “metres” of being struck by flares fired by a Russian warship, Denmark's Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus said on Tuesday. Russia accused Denmark of carrying out “dangerous manoeuvres” near its ship, and said it was investigating the incident.
McDonald's and Chinese food-delivery giant Meituan have launched China's first drone-delivery route dedicated to a single catering brand, bringing the technology to Shanghai's popular West Bund riverfront.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced plans to scrap Biden-era carbon emission limits on coal- and gas-fired power plants, marking a major reversal in U.S. climate policy.
University students in Mexico have held a vigil for a 21-year-old Spanish exchange student killed in the central state of Morelos, with authorities investigating her death as a possible feminicide.
Every day since a torrent of mud and rocks destroyed a Nepal-China border crossing high up in the Himalayas last month, Arushi Gupta's parents have called and messaged their missing daughter hoping she somehow survived.
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