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Canada's Minister of Natural Resources Joe Oliver said on Monday that strengthen the energy relationship between Canada and the U.S. will benefit the two countries.
Oliver made the remarks when meeting with his U.S. counterpart in Washington D.C..
A statement received here in Ottawa described Oliver's fifth official visit to Washington, D.C. as "successful", saying he discussed with U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz bilateral energy relationship and opportunities for future cooperation.
Oliver reiterated Canada's position as the largest and most responsible energy supplier to America and Canada's interest in enhancing North American energy security, jobs and environmental protection, the statement said.
"Canada and the United States share the largest, most secure and significant energy relationship in the world," said Oliver. " Enhancing our bilateral energy collaboration will strengthen economic opportunity, energy security and environmental responsibility," he said.
Moniz and Oliver discussed the potentials for the two countries to enhance energy and environmental collaboration, which include " maintaining safe and modern energy infrastructure, supporting efficient energy use, exerting joint global leadership on energy and environmental issues and developing unconventional oil and gas resources responsibly."
Oliver also mentioned the Keystone XL pipeline, saying it is " in the national interest of both our countries," and that Canada supports the approval of the project.
"Approval would displace oil from Venezuela which has repeatedly threatened to cut off its supply to the United States and has the same or higher emissions as the oil sands, with less stringent regulations," he added.
After the meeting, he responded to Canadian media's recent reports that the Canadian government does not consider its move to cooperate with the U.S. to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as "an environmental concession".
"It has been our objective to continue to make progress on environmental enhancement for two reasons. One, because we have a responsibility as global citizens and two, because we need to have the social license to continue to develop our resources," he said.
Canada's CBC News reported last Friday that Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has sent a letter to U.S. President Barack Obama in late August, formally proposing "joint action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the oil and gas sector" in order to advance the Keystone pipeline project.
Sources told CBC News that the prime minister is willing to accept targets proposed by the United States for reducing the climate-changing emissions and is prepared to work with Obama to provide whatever political cover he needs to approve the Keystone extension.
Canadian press said Harper's message offered "a clear sign of Ottawa's willingness to make concessions" in order to get the presidential green light for TransCanada Corp.'s 7-billion dollar pipeline, which will connect the Alberta oil sands to refineries in Texas of the U.S..
