Departing U.S. envoy Cohen: ‘You cannot tear this partnership apart’
Departing U.S. envoy Cohen: ‘You cannot tear this partnership apart’
Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
peterblack@qctonline.com
The departing United States ambassador to Canada, while cleaving to diplomatic discretion, lauded the strength of U.S.-Canada relations on the eve of the inauguration of Donald Trump as the next American president on Jan. 20.
David L. Cohen, speaking on Jan. 15 at a farewell visit to the U.S. consulate in Quebec City, said, “Everyone wants to talk to me about what happens in the United States on Monday. I am not worried. I am not worried about it from the perspective of the U.S.-Canada relationship, because you cannot tear this partnership apart. You cannot break this friendship. It is too deep, it is too enduring. It is everlasting.”
Cohen added, “That is not to say that there aren’t going to be some choppy waters.” He was referring to Trump’s threat to impose across-the-board 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports as soon as he takes power. The threats have rocked the Canadian political firmament and forced leaders to scramble to prepare a response.
Cohen replaced Trump appointee Kelly Craft in December 2021, filling a two-year vacancy after she departed for the United Nations ambassadorship. A corporate lawyer and personal friend of former president Joe Biden, Cohen has clearly come to love Quebec City, and has visited the consulate with the spectacular view of the St. Lawrence River four times in his tenure.
Accompanied by his wife Rhonda Cohen at the reception attended by several dozen local notables, Cohen lauded the landmarks of the city, including the neighbouring Château Frontenac.
“It is at the Château that the late president Ronald Reagan and the late prime minister Brian Mulroney sang ‘When Irish Eyes Are Smiling’ in 1985 at the end of the so-called Shamrock Summit,” Cohen said. “More than any other single moment, this summit led the way for the world’s most enduring, profitable, successful and mutually beneficial trade relationships via the North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA, which later evolved to become the USMCA.”
Cohen also noted the significance of the Citadel. “Also known as America’s Gibraltar, it’s home to Canada’s very first French-speaking regiment, whose brave soldiers fought alongside the Americans in the two World Wars. I cite all these not just for a history lesson, but because they’re all reminders of the rich and enduring relationship that exists between Canada and the United States.”
Cohen, 70, informally said he has not decided what he will do now that his diplomatic stint is over. He said in his remarks that he and his wife plan to return to visit the city he has come to love.
“Serving as the United States ambassador to Canada is as good a job as you can have, and it’s been the honour of my lifetime to represent my friend, President Biden, and the United States in this wonderful country and in this wonderful province.
“When I first arrived in Canada, I knew that I was stepping into a role defined by longstanding and exceptional relations. The United States and Canada share more than just a border. We share common values, share economic interests and an enduring friendship that spans generations.
“As I reflect on the incredible journey I’ve had over the past three and a half years, I am filled with gratitude not just for the opportunity to serve, also for the relationships, conversations and co-operation that have shaped my tenure. I will never forget the generosity and warmth that I have felt in Quebec City.”
The ambassador lauded the leadership of Consul General Danielle Monosson, “how she distinguishes herself by her humanity. I’ve seen and learned that Danielle really cares. She cares about United States foreign policy. She cares about Canada. She cares about the province of Quebec and Quebec City.”
In an informal comment to the QCT, Cohen said he especially enjoyed attending two editions of the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament in the city.
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