US, Canadian, Mexican leaders hold first summit in 5 years

US President Joe Biden hosted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador at the White House for their first North American Leaders' Summit since 2016.

Ahead of the three-person summit held on Thursday, which was shunned by former US President Donald Trump, Biden separately met Trudeau and Obrador, Xinhua news agency reported.

During the summit, the three leaders "reiterated our strong ties and integration, and willingness to chart a new path for our partnership at a time when we face incredibly complex global challenges," said the White House in a press release.

The leaders pledged to take concrete actions in support of their joint goals, including ending the Covid-19 pandemic and advancing global health, fostering competitiveness and creating the conditions for equitable growth, as well as coordinating a regional response to migration, it said. -IANS