SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, good morning, everyone. As President Biden and Prime Minister Trudeau announced earlier today, the United States and Canada have reached agreement in principle to modernize the Columbia River Treaty. This agreement is a hallmark of the cooperation that Canada and the United States have and have shown over so many years – cooperation that benefits the people in both of our countries.
For the United States, the Columbia River is an extraordinarily powerful source for commerce, for energy, for the lives of so many of our fellow citizens: 40 percent of our hydropower, irrigating about $8 billion in agricultural products, transporting more than $20 billion in goods. And this modernization agreement in principle will allow greater access to energy for American consumers, it will allow greater access to renewables – which is very important, of course, for our climate – and it will lower prices for consumers. Most important, it’s really a win-win agreement, one that benefits Canadians, one that benefits Americans, and one that, again, demonstrates what has long been the case: that our two countries work so closely together for the benefit of our people.
I just want to thank very quickly in particular Senator Jim Risch, Senator Maria Cantwell, who have been instrumental in moving this forward. And I especially want to thank my friend and colleague, the foreign minister, because Melanie Joly has played an instrumental role in getting this agreement across the finish line. Now, as I say, you never want to negotiate with Melanie because it’s easier to just say yes at the start, because that’s where you’re going to wind up. But she has been a strong advocate for Canada’s interests, and I think the agreement that we’ve reached in principle reflects the interests of both countries in ways that will clearly benefit people in Canada and in the United States.
FOREIGN MINISTER JOLY: Thank you. Thank you, Tony. It’s a pleasure to be with you finally at the announcement. I know we’ve been negotiating for a long time. You’re a tough negotiator too, you know. So this is an important agreement in principle that indeed we have reached on the renewable – renewal of the Columbia River Treaty. We know that water is the most important resource that we have in the world, and it is important that Canada and U.S. be able to manage it well for now but also for the future generations.
This agreement is also important for three reasons. The first one: it is about the question of water management, particularly flood control. So that’s the first aspect of it. Second, it is also about hydroelectricity, and we know how much clean energy is important. And thirdly – and I know that many Canadians and also many Americans have been looking forward to this – it is about bringing back salmon to the Columbia River. So that’s also an important aspect of this new agreement.
I would like to thank also on our side, on the Canadian side, the British Columbia government, particularly Minister Conroy – thank you so much, Katrine – and also all the indigenous nations of the Columbia River basin who have been involved in this. So finally we got it to the finish line, and it’s always a pleasure to work with you, dear Tony.
If I may just a second, I’ll just speak in French.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: (In French.)
FOREIGN MINISTER JOLY: (In French.)
SECRETARY BLINKEN: (In French.)
FOREIGN MINISTER JOLY: So thank you so much.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you, Melanie.
FOREIGN MINISTER JOLY: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thanks, everyone.
FOREIGN MINISTER JOLY: Thank you. Thank you.
STAFF: If press could hold here —
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, will you be attending the press conference today?
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Yes, and look forward to it.
