Biden to address Canadian Parliament later this month

President Biden will address the Canadian Parliament later this month, the White House announced Thursday.

In a statement, the White House said Mr. Biden and first lady Jill Biden will travel to Ottawa, Canada, from March 23 to March 24.

The trip will include a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to discuss modernizing the North American Aerospace Defense Command, strengthening the supply chain and supporting Ukraine.

Canada is one of the U.S.’s largest trading partners and is a key defense ally. The relationship was recently emphasized when the North American Aerospace Defense Command tracked a suspected Chinese spy balloon that passed over the two countries before being shot down off the coast of South Carolina.

A U.S. fighter jet later shot down an unidentified flying object in Canadian airspace.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the trip will underscore the two nations “shared security, shared prosperity and shared values.”

Mr. Trudeau released a statement confirming Mr. Biden’s visit.

“As we face increasing global uncertainty, we will continue working together as we defend our continent and our shared values, create more opportunities for people and businesses on both sides of the border, and build strong economies as reliable suppliers as we move toward a net-zero world,” Mr. Trudeau said.

The last American president to address the Canadian Parliament was President Obama, who delivered a friendly speech that urged Ottawa to do more to support NATO.

Former President Trump visited Canada just once during his presidency when he arrived at the G-7 summit in Quebec. At the end of the summit, Mr. Trump tweeted an array of personal insults aimed at Mr. Trudeau.

The Canadian leader has long pushed Mr. Biden for a presidential visit to underscore the strength of the two nations’ relationship. In January, Mr. Biden told his Canadian counterpart that he would visit the country in March, but no firm plans were set.