The highlight of Justin Trudeauās visit to Washington, D.C. is expected to be the state dinner at the White House on Thursday, but Canadaās PM will also be holding some important discussions with President Barack Obama, and making several appearances at other events in the U.S. Capitol.
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Here is a look at the schedule for Prime Minister Justin Trudeauās state visit to Washington.
Wednesday
The PM flew out of Ottawa on Wednesday afternoon and landed at Andrews Air Force Base, in Maryland, at 4:30 p.m.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, holding his son Hadrian, waves as he steps off the plane with his wife Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau during a welcome ceremony at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Wednesday, March 9, 2016. (Paul Chiasson / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Andrews Air Force Base is the primary airfield for U.S. President Barack Obama, and home to two specially-outfitted Boeing 747-200Bs, which are designated Air Force One when the president is on board.
Military personnel hold their hats as Air Force One, with President Barack Obama aboard, departs from Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016. ( AP / Jose Luis Magana)
Trudeauās first official engagement of the visit was the Prime Ministerās Reception, an invitation-only gala hosted by Canada 2020, in partnership with the Smithsonian Institute.
Toronto-born and Grammy-winning recording artist The Weeknd performed at the gala.
thank you for inviting me to this historical evening. honor to witness this moment my friend and PM
ā The Weeknd (@theweeknd)
Trudeau delivered his first speech of the trip at the gala, in which he spoke about the pitfalls of living in fear of the outside world.
Thursday
Trudeauās big day at the White House began at around 9 a.m., when he arrived at the South Lawn to a large crowd of onlookers and well-wishers, as well as gathered U.S. dignitaries. The sun was shining and the temperatures was about 16 C for Trudeau's arrival.
Marine One, with President Barack Obama aboard, lifts off from the South Lawn of the White House, toward the Washington Monument, in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2016. (AP / Susan Walsh)
Trudeauās first order of business was a meeting with Obama in the Oval Office, where the two leaders and their teams discussed border crossings, climate change, security and trade. The meeting was followed by a joint press conference, during which the PM and the president made an announcement about pre-clearance checks at the border.
First Lady Michelle Obama and the PMās wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, also met to discuss humanitarian and youth causes.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry hosted the Trudeaus for a luncheon at the State Department on Thursday afternoon, following the joint press conference.
The Trudeaus will return to the White House for dinner on Thursday evening, where theyāll join the Obamas and a number of other dignitaries for the prestigious event. Some notable Canadian celebrities may also be in attendance, given that Howie Mandel, Diana Krall and Dan Aykroyd were all invited to the last state dinner for a Canadian prime minister, in 1997.
The State Dining Room at the White House has seating for 120 people, but after the Trudeau and Obama contingents are accommodated, that only leaves space for about 40 couples, according to the . That means a ticket to the black-tie event will be extremely difficult to come by in Washington on Thursday.
In this file photo, President Barack Obama delivers remarks during a National Governors Association dinner in the State Dining Room of the White House, on Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016, in Washington. (AP / Evan Vucci)
American singer Sara Bareilles will provide the musical entertainment for the night, with assistance from the Washington Performing Arts Children of the Gospel choir for her song, āBrave.ā
Sara Bareilles is shown performing at Madison Square Garden on July 20, 2014, in New York. (AP / Invision / Charles Sykes)
The menu will be prepared by White House executive chef Cris Comerford, who has assembled a mostly American set of dishes for the event. The menu includes:
- First course: Alaskan halibut "casseroles" with cepes, asparagus, chanterelles, baby onions, and lardon and herbed butter
- Second course: Roasted apricot galette with Appalachian cheese, heirloom lettuces, pine nut crisps (paired with a 2013 Sebastiano Pence Chardonnay)
- Main course: Baby lamb chops with Yukon potato Dauphinoise and a fricassee of spring vegetables (paired with a 2012 Cliff Lede āHigh Fidelityā)
- Dessert: Maple pecan cake with cocoa nib wafer and butterscotch swirl ice cream (paired with a 2013 Chateau Chantal ice wine)
White House executive chef Cris Comerford is shown in Washington, D.C., on March 9, 2016.
A dessert is shown at the White House ahead of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's visit for a state dinner, on March 9, 2016.
A dessert display is shown at the White House ahead of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's visit for a state dinner, on March 9, 2016.
Friday
Trudeauās state visit will carry over into the day after the dinner, with two speaking engagements on the schedule. His first stop will be at American University, where heāll speak to a gathering at the School of International Service at 10:30 a.m.
Trudeauās state visit will carry over into the day after the dinner, with two speaking engagements on the schedule. His first stop will be at American University, where heāll speak to a gathering at the School of International Service at 10:30 a.m.
Next, the PM will speak at a think-tank luncheon at the Mayflower Hotel.
The event will be hosted by Canada2020, Global Progress, and the Center for American Progress, a group Conservative interim leader Rona Ambrose pointed out Wednesday spearheaded opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline project that President Obama quashed in November.
The appearance will include a Q&A session with members of the media in attendance, and is expected to run from noon until 2 p.m.
The map below shows Trudeau's scheduled engagements during his state visit.
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