Eric Farnsworth on CBS News: President Biden Travels to Canada

AS/COA Vice President Eric Farnsworth spoke to CBS News' John Dickerson on Prime Time With John Dickerson about U.S. President Joe Biden's trip to Canada.

"Too often we, in the United States, take Canada for granted. We have to be honest about that. But Canada is a strategic partner, our top trade partner in the world. It's our top supplier of energy during a time of energy insecurity, perhaps after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It's a co-guarantor of the world's largest undefended border, the U.S. border with Canada. And it's a country that shares burdens with us in NATO and global peacekeeping efforts. So this is really a country that is important to the U.S. economic security and national security," said Farnsworth.

The expert was asked about how the relationship between Canada and the United States could change in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He said that "it's a huge opportunity, frankly, for Canada to provide more energy on to global markets, particularly to the United States, but elsewhere as well, Europe, in particular."

"The challenge, of course, is that the Biden administration came in very forthrightly promoting the global climate change agenda. And I think that is absolutely relevant in the context of Canada, which is an oil and gas producer and supplier," he said. "And so there's some obvious tension there. But at the moment of energy insecurity—when Europe requires increased resources and others around the world do as well—that would seem to be at least a short-term opportunity for Canada. It's something that I think that people are talking about. I think that the president will raise that or it will be raised with the president by the prime minister."

Farnsworth also said that there are border issues between the United States and Canada that can get "complicated."

"I think the challenge is trying to keep the borders open for the trade that has to come across, really, from both of our economies, while at the same time, being protected against things like illegal activities, including fentanyl. It's not just a U.S. issue. It's not just a Mexican issue. Canada is facing the fentanyl issue as well, and illegal narcotics, terrorism in the past, etcetera," Farnsworth said. "But you also have a crush of asylum seekers, many coming from Latin America, but many from other countries around the world as well, and those put real burdens on officials who are trying to do the right thing. But they're often times overwhelmed. So you need to have processes and cooperation in place to deal with these very relevant issues that touch people where they live."

Watch the interview.