WEBVTT 00:05.099 --> 00:07.699 Uh Well , uh good morning everyone as 00:07.710 --> 00:09.599 uh President Biden Prime Minister 00:09.599 --> 00:11.654 Trudeau announced earlier today , uh 00:11.654 --> 00:13.543 the United States and Canada have 00:13.543 --> 00:15.432 reached agreement in principle to 00:15.432 --> 00:17.543 modernize the Columbia River Treaty . 00:17.543 --> 00:20.510 Uh This agreement is a Hallmark of the 00:20.889 --> 00:23.690 Cooper operation that Canada and the 00:23.700 --> 00:26.579 United States have and have shown over 00:26.590 --> 00:29.360 so many years and Cooper that benefits 00:29.370 --> 00:31.481 the people in both of our countries . 00:31.481 --> 00:33.481 Uh For the United States , Columbia 00:33.481 --> 00:35.930 River is um an extraordinarily powerful 00:35.939 --> 00:39.930 source uh for commerce for energy 00:40.200 --> 00:43.400 uh for the lives of so many of our 00:43.409 --> 00:46.220 fellow citizens , 40% of our hydropower 00:46.709 --> 00:48.431 irrigating about $8 billion in 00:48.431 --> 00:50.487 agricultural products , transporting 00:50.759 --> 00:54.259 more than $20 billion in goods . And 00:54.270 --> 00:57.369 this modernization agreement in 00:57.380 --> 01:00.250 principle will allow greater access to 01:00.259 --> 01:04.029 energy for American consumers . It will 01:04.040 --> 01:05.984 allow greater access to renewables 01:05.984 --> 01:08.096 which is very important , of course , 01:08.096 --> 01:09.984 for our climate and it will lower 01:09.984 --> 01:12.930 prices for consumers most important . 01:12.940 --> 01:15.459 It's really a win win agreement . One 01:15.470 --> 01:17.680 that benefits Canadians , one that 01:17.690 --> 01:21.089 benefits Americans and one that again 01:21.180 --> 01:23.629 demonstrates what has long been the 01:23.639 --> 01:26.610 case that our two countries work so 01:26.620 --> 01:28.842 closely together for the benefit of our 01:28.842 --> 01:30.787 people . I just want to thank very 01:30.787 --> 01:33.009 quickly . Um in particular , uh Senator 01:33.009 --> 01:35.064 Jim Risch , Senator Maria Cantwell , 01:35.064 --> 01:37.287 who have been instrumental in moving uh 01:37.287 --> 01:39.453 moving this forward . And I especially 01:39.453 --> 01:41.676 want to thank my friend and colleague , 01:41.676 --> 01:44.629 um Foreign Minister because um Melanie 01:44.639 --> 01:47.470 Joly has played an instrumental role in 01:47.480 --> 01:49.369 getting this agreement across the 01:49.369 --> 01:51.709 finish line . Now , as I say , you 01:51.720 --> 01:53.776 never want to negotiate with Melanie 01:53.776 --> 01:55.942 because it's easier to just say yes at 01:55.942 --> 01:58.053 the start because that's where you're 01:58.053 --> 02:00.220 going to wind up . But um she has been 02:00.220 --> 02:02.276 a strong advocate for um uh Canada's 02:02.276 --> 02:04.442 interests and uh I think the agreement 02:04.442 --> 02:04.059 that we've reached in principle 02:04.069 --> 02:05.791 reflects the interests of both 02:05.791 --> 02:07.791 countries in ways that will clearly 02:07.791 --> 02:09.791 benefit people in Canada and in the 02:09.791 --> 02:12.013 United States . Thank you . Thank you , 02:12.013 --> 02:14.069 Tony . Uh It's a pleasure to be with 02:14.069 --> 02:16.291 you . Finally , at the announcement , I 02:16.291 --> 02:18.458 know we've been negotiating for a long 02:18.458 --> 02:20.625 time . You're a tough negotiator too , 02:20.625 --> 02:22.736 you know . Um So this is an important 02:22.736 --> 02:24.847 uh agreement in principle that indeed 02:24.847 --> 02:27.013 we have reached on the renewal renewal 02:27.013 --> 02:29.660 of the Colombia River treaty . We know 02:29.669 --> 02:31.502 that water is the most important 02:31.502 --> 02:34.360 resource that we have in the world and 02:34.369 --> 02:36.536 it is important that Canada and the US 02:36.536 --> 02:38.820 be able to manage it well for but also 02:38.830 --> 02:42.300 for the future generations . This 02:42.309 --> 02:44.420 agreement is also important for three 02:44.420 --> 02:47.029 reasons . The first one , it is about 02:47.190 --> 02:49.410 the question of water management , 02:49.419 --> 02:51.639 particularly flood control . So that's 02:51.649 --> 02:53.850 the first aspect of it second , it is 02:53.860 --> 02:56.100 also about hydroelectricity and we know 02:56.110 --> 02:58.580 how much clean energy is important . 02:58.720 --> 03:00.664 And thirdly , and I know that many 03:00.664 --> 03:02.831 Canadians and also many Americans have 03:02.831 --> 03:04.887 been looking forward to this . It is 03:04.887 --> 03:07.059 about bringing back salmon to the 03:07.070 --> 03:09.220 Colombia River . So that's also an 03:09.229 --> 03:12.179 important aspect of uh this new 03:12.190 --> 03:14.800 agreement . I would like to thank also 03:14.809 --> 03:17.000 uh on our side and the Canadian side , 03:17.009 --> 03:19.479 the British Columbia government , 03:19.490 --> 03:22.179 particularly Minister Conroy . Thank 03:22.190 --> 03:24.250 you so much Corin and also all the 03:24.259 --> 03:26.619 indigenous nations of the Columbia 03:26.630 --> 03:28.741 River basin who have been involved in 03:28.741 --> 03:31.440 this . So finally , we got it through 03:31.449 --> 03:33.509 the finish line and it's always a 03:33.520 --> 03:36.130 pleasure to work with you , Tony . If I 03:36.139 --> 03:38.306 may just a second , I'll just speak in 03:38.306 --> 03:39.306 French 04:00.500 --> 04:01.500 electricity . 04:47.269 --> 04:49.380 Thank you so much . Thank you . Thank 04:49.380 --> 04:51.491 you . Thank you so much . Thank you . 04:51.491 --> 04:51.350 Thank you .