(CNN) –- President Obama will take his first foreign trip as commander in chief to Canada next month, his press secretary announced Wednesday.
“Canada is a vitally important ally and the president looks forward to the opportunity to speak with Prime Minister Harper and visit our neighbor to the north,” White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said during Wednesday’s press briefing.
Obama will head to Canada on February 19. Gibbs did not announce any further details about the president’s itinerary.
Former President Bush took his first international trip to Mexico, but many U.S. presidents have started their terms with a visit to Canada.
From CNN Politics
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A visit to Canada is great. They are good neighbors and we need to keep them as allies. To suggest that they don't qualify as a foreign country is insulting, arrogant, and ignorant. We need all of the friends we can get. Not to mention that right now their national debt is a lot lower than ours!
Mr. President, you are always welcome here. I just wish we had a better leader to greet you. How things can change in a few months. It used to be the U.S. that had an ultra-right wing government and the Canadians had a middle to left system. Now its totally opposite. P.M. Stephen W. Harper (as he is reffered to here) is as republican and right-wing as Rush Limbaugh. Hopefully Obama can talk some sense into our guy...or at least give our liberal party some advice on how to win the next election.
Looking forward to your visit Mr. President.
Bienvenue au Canada.
Welcome to Canada, President Obama! We will welcome him with open arms, too bad he's not coming out west though! I wish he were ours, but I'm glad he's yours... you deserve a wonderful leader after all you've experienced for last eight years.
Some lovely comments here about Canada, that's so nice to hear... ♥
As a Canadian, I am honoured that Barack has chosen to visit us first. He's so popular up here, it's unbelieveable. It's partly because he espouses good Canadian values like universal health care, multiculturalism and soft power diplomacy. Can we trade leaders?...Please.?
Oh the right wing hate...keep spewing you guys.
And keep realizing that your party is being led by the nose by a couple of hack commentators who probably have no clue how to do anything constructive anyway.
Marion... are you one of those people who think Canada is just another American State? Well, it's not and it happens that we love Obama up here. Can't wait to see him.
Canada will welcome President Obama with a warm heart and a warm welcome
I joined his campaign when he was campaigning but I could not donate bc I was not an American citizen but thats ok
Make sure you dress warm hehe
we got heaps of snow here and its still coming down
President Obama... Canada will welcome you with open arms... just stay away from Harper.. you will think he is Bush in disguise !
Obama had better be concerned about America and stay his butt right here for a while. He has an awlful lot to do here. He hasn't earned a vacation yet.
If the USA can be described as right-of-centre, then Canada can be described as left-of-centre. The opposition party here (the Liberal Party) got a big boost when Obama got into power, and the ruling party (the Conservative Party) consequently lost ground. I wonder how the leaders will get along, politically speaking.
MZ
Doesn't matter which country – everyone loves him. I'm so proud of our President. He WILL do a good job in spite of the Goofy Obstructionist Party
Obama will find he has HUGE fans in Canada. Thank you Mr. President! And please, on your way back home, take Harper with you...we BEG you. Rush Limbaugh would love him – he makes your ultraconservatives look like far left wingers! We desperately need a REAL LEADER LIKE YOU!
A HUGE Canadian fan of President Obama
Can we adopt him?? We're stuck with Harper here
Canada is a sovereign nation last time I looked.
The vast majority of Canadians have been cheering for Obama from the get go up here, and its an honor to have him in our country!
If he speaks I'll drive from Toronto to Ottawa in heartbeat!!
Let's consider the world in a warmer environment. Let's imagine larger Canadian ports off loading supplies for the mid-west and upper mid-west. Ports, trains, roads, efficiencies, security issues, etc. etc. We need even closer ties with Canada than ever before. Good job O.
And Bush went to Mexico??? For what??? HA HA.
Obama will be one VERY welcome politician. So glad he is honoring us with his first visit.
I wonder if he push a plan to cut oil imports from our biggest source of foreign oil?
(It's Canada, you know!)
My Canadian friends love Obama. They are so glad that Bush and the Republicans are gone and dwindling in numbers. President Obama- a President the world can actually respect. Haven't had that in 8 long years.
When Canadians stop coming HERE to receive TIMELY quality health care (i.e., before the die), they can sweet-talk "The One."