Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is giving the keynote address at the National Governors Association meeting in Rhode Island on Friday, becoming the first foreign leader to address the conference.
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence delivered the opening address to the conference at 1:30 p.m. Friday, and was followed by Trudeau's speech entitled "Collaborating to Create Tomorrow's Global Economy," according to CBC News.
The conference brings a contingent of Canadian provincial ministers to meet with select American governors, with Trudeau himself meeting with the governors of five states: Rhode Island, Iowa, Colorado, Kentucky and Wisconsin.
In a meeting with American governors earlier Friday, Trudeau emphasized the significance of the North American Free Trade Agreement's longevity, according to The National Post.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker told reporters after the meeting that although the U.S. and Canada differ on policy, there's no need to unravel the agreement.
"I don't think you need to blow it up. I think it needs to be improved," he said, according to the Post.
"I think it's [about] improving. I mean, you're talking about something that's more than two decades old. No matter how good something is, there's always good ways to improve it. So I think that's positive.
"For the businesses in Wisconsin … we want to make sure that our largest market in the world is still accessible."
Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin downplayed President Donald Trump's disparaging remarks about NAFTA, telling CBC News, "That's how business people do business," but adding that Trump is "not kidding. Canada should not expect a better deal than America."
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