QUEBEC CITY, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Canada's role in a U.S.-led
coalition fighting Islamic State militants, war refugees and the
extradition of a Mexican drug boss are on the agenda for talks
on Friday between the foreign ministers of Canada, the United
States and Mexico, a senior U.S. official said.
The meeting in Quebec City is the first since the Liberals
of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took office in November, vowing
to fulfill an election campaign promise to withdraw six fighter
jets from the more than 60-nation coalition involved in U.S.-led
air strikes on militant targets in Iraq and Syria.
"Obviously we would like them to continue that contribution
but we will talk about what else they may be able to do if they
are going to withdraw those jets," a senior State Department
official told reporters.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry would also raise the
issue of Syrian refugees with Canadian Minister of Foreign
Affairs Stephane Dion, the official said.
Trudeau's Liberals have promised to accept more refugees
more quickly than the previous Conservative government,
including bringing in 25,000 Syrians. The resettlement of the
Syrian refugees was delayed from December to March because of
concerns about security screening and logistics.
Despite a political backlash over security concerns, the
Obama administration has said it plans to resettle at least
10,000 Syrians this year.
The official said the extradition of Joaquin "El Chapo"
Guzman to the United States from Mexico would be discussed in a
meeting between Kerry and Mexico's Foreign Minister Claudia Ruiz
Massieu.
Guzman was caught in early January after six months on the
run following a prison break through a tunnel in his cell floor.
Once featured in the Forbes list of billionaires, he led a
cartel that smuggled billions of dollars worth of cocaine,
heroin, marijuana and methamphetamines into the United States
and fought vicious turf wars with other Mexican gangs.
Venezuela's economic crisis and elections in Haiti would
also be discussed, the State Department official said.