Canada: Pompeo visits Ottawa ahead of G7 Summit

M/S US Secretary of State Pompeo walking up to the stage with Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland, Ottawa
W/S Pompeo and Freeland at the podium
SOT, Mike Pompeo, U.S Secretary of State: "First it is great to be in Canada on my first official visit as Secretary of State. I had important and good meetings both with Chrystia today as well as Prime Minister Trudeau. I thank them profusely for their solidarity with the United States on a wide range of issues, Chrystia mentioned many of them but, North Korea and Venezuela is particular, Canada has been a fantastic partner."
Media at the event *CUTAWAY*
SOT, Mike Pompeo, U.S Secretary of State: "Even as we stand shoulder to shoulder on these many areas of common ground, we can do more, and I know that we will, in Eastern Europe we must continue to stand with our NATO Allies in the face of ongoing Russian aggression so we also discussed today the importance of Canada meeting its commitment, its Wales Pledge of 2% of its GDP on national defence is considered a powerful example for all of our European partners in our collective defence."
M/S Security
W/S Pompeo and Freeland at the podium
W/S Pompeo and Freeland leaving the room
W/S Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) outside of building
M/S National Arts Centre
SCRIPT
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held a joint press conference with Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chrystia Freeland in Ottawa on Thursday.
Pompeo described Canada during the press conference as a "fantastic partner" and went on to say that "Even as we stand shoulder to shoulder on these many common grounds, we can do more, and I know that we will, in Eastern Europe we must continue to stand with our NATO Allies in the face of ongoing Russian aggression."
Elaborating on that point, Pompeo explained that he discussed Canada meeting its commitment to spend 2% of its GDP on national defence, saying it would be a "powerful example for all of our European partners in our collective defence."
Canada is reportedly only spending 1.23 per cent of its GDP on defence in its 2019 budget.
The U.S. Secretary of State stated he also met Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier in the day.