MONTERREY, Mexico (CP) - Prime Minister Paul Martin says he'll take a distinctly Canadian approach in defending his country's interests when he meets with U.S. President George W. Bush on Tuesday.
He said that he's facing a formidable task in establishing a rapport and finding common ground with Bush. "There's no doubt that tomorrow's meeting is going to be what I would hope is a very important building block in the building up of that set of confidences by which we arrive at mutual priorities," he told a news conference before the official start of a special Summit of the Americas.
Martin signalled he will champion the Canadian approach to social development, adding disillusionment expressed by Latin American leaders is the result of narrowness of U.S. economic theories.
"The fact is the promised land didn't open up (in Latin America)," he said.
Instead, Martin advocates a more balanced approach that would see the liberalization of markets matched by investment in social programs.
"I'm quite confident the Canadian view is the right one - it is the one that will be accepted (by Central and South America)."
Canadian interests such as mad cow, softwood lumber, the Canadian passport and Iraqi reconstruction contracts are all on the agenda for the breakfast meeting with Bush.
Martin, however, distanced himself from criticism he might get too cozy with the United States.
"I'm going to put forward the Canadian view, period," he said. "We are an independent sovereign nation and we will make our own decisions."
He said he won't know if he succeeds until he's met with Bush face-to-face.
"It's no different than in everyday life," he said. "If you know the person that you're dealing with and you have confidence in the person you are dealing with, then you are going to make much greater strides than if you don't."
Martin has promised to improve dialogue with Washington after a period of strained relations under predecessor Jean Chretien.
Meanwhile, Martin announced that Canada will offer help to Haiti, which is facing a political and humanitarian crisis. Canadian officials will attend a Jan. 20 meeting with opponents of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
"What we're dealing with is an enormous amount of human suffering," he said.
Additionally, he said Canada will renew its efforts to sign free-trade deals with Central American countries amid fears the FTAA won't meet its 2005 deadline: "Today we agreed to re-start those discussions on free trade and the accelerate them."
He spent the day meeting with Caribbean and South American leaders in this northeastern industrial city, including Chilean President Ricardo Lagos and Argentine President Nestor Kirchner. Canada has already signed a free-trade agreement with Chile.
The summit was also marked by a dispute between Bush and several of the other 33 leaders who are resisting his proposal to bar corrupt governments. While the proposal springs from a resolution on democracy adopted at the 2001 Quebec City talks, Martin said it will be difficult to find a resolution on the issue.
"I think it's very hard," he said. "The issue isn't only the definition (of corruption), but who is going to determine that."
On Sunday, Martin spoke out against corruption following a meeting with Mexican President Vicente Fox.
Leaders have expressed concerns ranging from unrest in Haiti, an AIDS epidemic, poverty and remittance fees to banks from itinerant workers which are costing the region $32 billion US a year.
Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham said the prime minister will also want to emphasize growth and trade in the face of U.S. security concerns when meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Tuesday.
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