Americans, in general, know very little about their friendly neighbor to the north, but Canadians are well informed about their neighbor to the south, said Raymond A.J. Chrétien, Canada's ambassador to the United States, at a Pierson College master's tea.

That discrepancy is one of the most striking aspects of the U.S.-Canadian relationship, said Chrétien. It would be beneficial, he added, for Americans to discover and appreciate what goes on "north of the border," much of which has a direct impact on the United States.

In his March 29 talk, titled "Canada's Foreign Policy in the New Century," Chrétien emphasized the interconnectedness of the two North American countries. The relationship between Canada and the United States, he stated, is one of the strongest and most successful partnerships between any two countries in the world. The "lively connection" between the two neighbors, he said, is due, in part, to the fact that the countries share many of the same basic values.

In fact, he pointed out, Canada and the United States have the world's largest and most comprehensive trade and economic relationship. Noting that more than $1 billion worth of business crosses the U.S.-Canadian border every day, Chrétien said that Canada is by far the United States' most important trading partner.

Despite the close ties between the two countries and their significant alliances, there are some subtle but important differences between the United States and Canada, the ambassador stated. He emphasized that Canada is an independent country with a distinct cultural identity and, at times, a different foreign policy from that of the United States.

There are several areas which the two countries must jointly manage in order to ensure the success of their friendly relationship, Chrétien told his audience. These include articulating a vision of the U.S.-Canadian border in a way that reflects the increasing economic integration of the two countries and their ever-growing flow of goods; establishing clear international trade policies; and fine-tuning the bilateral economic relationship to maximize prosperity and security. In addition, he said, both countries should work together on environmental and international political issues.

In almost all areas of life, both countries matter very much to each other, Chrétien emphasized.

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