Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said he will not lecture President Donald Trump on Syrian refugees.
"The
last thing Canadians expect is for me to come down and lecture another
country on how they choose to govern," he said at the White House.Both leaders stressed the countries' shared economic goals and co-operation at a joint news conference.
But their responses to questions about Syrian refugees underscored their contrasting policies on immigration.
Mr Trump defended his controversial travel ban, saying he wanted "to have a big beautiful, open door", but that "we cannot let the wrong people in".
The US president has stirred controversy for issuing an executive order temporarily banning entry of all refugees and visitors from seven mainly Muslim countries.
A federal judge has issued a temporary nationwide block on the travel ban, but the issue of refugees appeared to overshadow the joint news conference.
Mr Trudeau said the US and Canada had always been strong allies, fighting alongside one another on various battlefields.
"But there are times when we have differed in our approaches. And that's always been done firmly and respectfully," he said.
The prime minister added that Canada continues to "pursue our policies of openness" without compromising security and would serve as a "positive example in the world".
The Canadian leader made global headlines for accepting nearly 40,000 refugees, and has said his country will welcome those fleeing persecution and war.
When Mr Trump signed the controversial order, Mr Trudeau tweeted his government's commitment to bringing in "those fleeing persecution, terror & war".
He also sent a pointed tweet that showed him greeting a young refugee at a Canadian airport in 2015.
"This is a delicate situation here I don't think it would help anyone in this country if the prime minister went to the US and started a fight," said Opposition Conservative leader Rona Ambrose.
The two men, however, emphasised their commitment to provide growth and jobs for people on both sides of the northern border.
"We will co-ordinate closely to protect jobs in our hemisphere and to keep wealth in our continent," said Mr Trump.
Mr Trudeau gave Mr Trump a framed photograph of the US president and the prime minister's father, Pierre Trudeau.
The picture was taken in 1981 when the then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau received an award in New York City, according to the prime minister's office.
The US president's pledge to renegotiate free trade deal Nafta has reportedly unsettled Canadian officials - 75% of the country's exports go to the US.The two leaders, and Mr Trump's daughter Ivanka, also led a roundtable discussion on female workers.
The neighbouring countries launched a new task force called the United States Canada Council for the Advancement of Women Business Leaders-Female Entrepreneurs.
Ivanka Trump, who appealed to working women throughout her father's presidential campaign, helped secure female executives to participate and set the agenda for the meeting.
The joint task force may help allay tensions over some of the protectionist measures Mr Trump has issued since he took office in January.
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