After delivering veiled takedown of U.S. protectionism, Freeland says NAFTA talks to continue through summer

Even with tensions simmering between the U.S. and Canada, Foreign Affairs MinisterChrystiaFreeland said today the two countries will continue to negotiate NAFTA through the summer.

Freeland capped off a brief trip to Washington with a meeting with United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizerthis morning. She said the two agreed to continue NAFTA negotiations with Mexico this summer, despite a looming election in that country, but didn't set any dates.

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The morning meeting came after Freelanddelivered a major foreign policyspeech after receiving Foreign Policy magazine's Diplomat of the Year award.

The speech offered a strongly-worded defence oftheinternational rules-based system that the U.S. helped create after the Second World War, and held on to during the Cold War.

"We all know we will be strongest with America in our ranks and indeed in the lead," she told the crowd of diplomats and academics. "But whatever this great country's choice will turn out to be,let me be clear that Canada knows where it stands."

The Trudeau government has openly said the Canada-U.S. relationship reached a turning point when U.S. President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, citing national security reasons asjustification.Trump and two of his top advisers also launched an unprecedented volley of insultsagainst Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for attacking the tariffs at the weekend G7 summit in Quebec.

Freelandtried to rebut reporterswho asked if her speechwas aimed at Trump and whether Canada feared further repercussions from the Trump White House because of it.

"Why I said the things I said yesterday was liberal democracy is under assault right now and authoritarianismis on the march,"Freelandtold reporters the morning after her speech.

Pointing to her favourite line in William Butler Yeats's 1920 poemThe Second Coming 'The best lack all conviction, while the worst; Are full of passionate intensity' Freelandsaid it's timeto stand up.

"I believe very strongly that it is important for those of us who believe in liberal democracy and I think that includes the overwhelming majority of Canadians for usto strike back," she said.

The Canadian minister said she gave a version of her speech to Lighthizer.

Ford and Freeland

Upon returning to Canada Freelandmet with with Ontario premier-designate Doug Ford and Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. David MacNaughtonto discuss the state of NAFTAnegotiations.

Ford said it was a privilege to work with Freelandand voiced the hope thatthey could strike a deal that to the benefit of Canada, the U.S. and Ontario.

"I reaffirmed Ontario's government standing shoulder to shoulder with our federal counterparts," Ford told reporters after the meeting.

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Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland and Ontario premier-designate Doug Ford say they will work 'shoulder to shoulder' to present a unified team in Canada's ongoing NAFTA negotiations with the United States.

"We must stand together during these critical negotiations because there is so much at stake, jobs across our economy, workers and their families entire communities are all counting on us to defend Ontario's interests, and Canada's interests, and we will do just that."

Freelandsaid that one of Canada's greatest strengths in the NAFTA negotiations has been the 'team Canada' approach that has seen the provinces and federal parties present a united front.

"I said to the premier designate how much I appreciate the strong position he has taken expressing a shoulder-to-shoulder solidarity with the federal government and I would really like to thank him for that," she said.