US-Canada relations may suffer blow over Keystone XL pipeline, Trudeau says position clear

Even before President-elect Joe Biden could be sworn-in as the new White House chief, the US-Canada relations have been pushed towards the edge of a cliff over the Keystone XL Project. After the incoming administration indicated that it would cancel the 2700-km-long oil pipeline project over environmental concerns, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday assured that his government would persuade the United States to allow the work to continue. 

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"We’ve had a clear and consistent position supporting this project for years. Our government is making sure that Canada’s views are heard and considered by the incoming administration at the highest levels. And of course, I’m really looking forward to working closely with the new president and his team to create jobs and build back better for us all," Trudeau said during his daily COVID briefing on Tuesday.

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Keystone XL Project

Donald Trump's administration had approved the Keystone XL Project after former President Barack Obama refused to give it the go-ahead while in office. The project aims to transport crude oil from Canada's Alberta to American refineries in Texas. The incoming Biden administration has already indicated that it will cancel the project given the environmental risks it poses. However, Trudeau's government in Canada has said it will engage with the new administration in the US in order to persuade it to allow the project to proceed. 

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Canadian Prime Minister reportedly spoke to Alberta Premier Jason Kenney on Tuesday and assured him that his government has already started speaking with high-level officials in the incoming administration. 

"Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with Alberta Premier Jason Kenney about the Canada-U.S. relationship, including the Keystone XL Project. The Prime Minister said that workers in Alberta and across Canada will always have the government’s support," a press release from the PM's Office read. 

According to reports, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has said his government will move legally against the Biden administration if they go ahead with their intention of cancelling the pipeline project. Kenney said the cancellation of the project will cause massive economic losses to the region.  

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