By Tian DuBelko
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in Seattle this week for Microsoft CEO Summit. While he was in town, Trudeau met with Washingon Gov. Jay Inslee.
On Thursday, the two leaders made a brief public appearance together. They addressed the burgeoning friendship between the State of Washington and Canada, as well as issues of cooperating on climate change and trade. The importance of diversity and assisting refugees also came up.
Close Ties
“It’s an opportunity to talk about the incredibly close ties between Washington state and British Columbia and indeed all of Canada,” Trudeau said of their meeting. “We have strongly engaged on issues of climate change, on issues of openness to trade, leadership on refugees as well, and an understanding that diversity can be a real source of strength.”
Inslee said he couldn’t recall when a Canadian prime minister visited Washington during his lifetime. He also echoed Trudeau’s thoughts on Washington’s friendship with Canada.
More Than Just a Border
“We share so much more with Canada than just a common border,” Inslee said. “We share an incredible commitment to defeating climate change, and a recognition that we can grow our economies while we’re doing that.”
“And it is a great pleasure to know that we have a national leader in the North American economy who’s committed to that,” he added.
One catalyst for this new developing economic relationship between the areas is the booming tech sector. Seattle is home to the headquarters and satellite offices of tech titans such as Google, Amazon, and Apple. More talented programmers and engineers are being lured to the Puget Sound area for work and more opportunities. It also helps that these companies are some of the highest-paying employers in the world, even for interns.
