US Secretary Of State: The Issue Of America Taking Over Canada Will Not Be Discussed During The G7 Foreign Minister Meeting

JAKARTA - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the issue of how the United States would "take over Canada" would not be discussed at the G7 foreign minister meeting which will take place in Canada on Thursday.

Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven major democracies - Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States - will meet at the La Malbaie river resort, 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 about making Canada the 51st US state, Rubio instead spoke about the field of cooperation between the United States and Canada including the defense of North America and Ukraine.

"We will focus on the G7 on all of these things. That is the core of this meeting. This is not a meeting on how we will take over Canada," he said.

US relations with Canada deteriorated after Trump repeatedly commented on Washington's northern neighbor as the 51st US state and Republican president Justin Trudeau called Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau his "governor".

The two neighboring countries were also involved in a trade war. Trump raised tariffs for steel and aluminum imports from Canada, accusing the country of failing to take sufficient action to stem the flow of deadly fentanyl opioids and their precursor chemicals to the US and also as he moves to reorganize global trade norms that benefit the United States.

Rubio said Trump did not appoint any country but tried to help develop domestic industrial capabilities as the current situation threatens US national security in the long term.

The US top diplomat said despite these tensions, he hopes to hold constructive talks with G7 allies.

"I think it's very possible that we can do these things and at the same time negotiate constructively with our allies, friends, and partners on all the other issues we work on together and that's what I expect from the G7 in Canada," Rubio said.