WASHINGTON, D.C. - Secretary of Homeland
Security Janet Napolitano and Canada's Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and
Multiculturalism, Jason Kenney today announced joint consultations with
stakeholders on cross-border business - increasing efforts to facilitate
business travel between the United States and Canada.
As outlined in the United States-Canada
Beyond the Border Action Plan, announced by President Barack Obama and Prime
Minister Stephen Harper in December 2011, the goal of the joint consultations
is to 1) receive comments on the implementation of commitments included in the
Action Plan and 2) identify and assess new ways to facilitate cross-border
business travel in the short and medium terms.
"DHS is committed to working with
our Canadian partners to facilitate cross-border business, strengthening the
economies of both our countries," said Secretary Napolitano. "Through
these joint consultations, we will receive direct feedback from businesses on
how we can improve travel and trade at the border."
"This Government's top priority
remains jobs, growth and long-term prosperity," said Canada's Minister of
Public Safety Vic Toews. "These consultations will help improve
cross-border trade and bring greater economic benefits to both Canada and the
United States."
"Billions of dollars worth of goods
and hundreds of thousands of people cross our shared border every day. We want
to hear directly from businesses on both sides of the border about how
cross-border business travel could improve. We especially want to hear fresh
ideas," said Minister Kenney.
Secretary Napolitano today attended the
first joint consultation between representatives from several major companies
and industry associations in Washington. Minister Kenney will attend the joint
consultation in Toronto on May 24. Consultations will be facilitated by the
Migration Policy Institute - a non-profit, non-partisan think tank based in
Washington, D.C. Stakeholder comments regarding Canadian and U.S. government
commitments made in the Action Plan, as well as recommendations for additional
improvements, will be accepted online starting today, until June 15, 2012.
A report on the outcomes of this process
will be distributed to stakeholders and will be available on the DHS and
Citizenship and Immigration Canada websites once consultations have been
completed.
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