U.S. President George Bush meets the leaders of Canada and Mexico at a Canadian resort Monday for a summit to discuss boosting trade and security cooperation.
Mr. Bush will begin the two-day visit to Montebello, Quebec, by holding separate meetings with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mexican President Felipe Calderon.
The meetings are part of a "Security and Prosperity Partnership" launched by the three countries in 2005.
Canadian officials say Mr. Harper will assert Canada's claim to part of the Arctic Ocean. The resource-rich waters also are claimed by Russia, the United States, Norway and Denmark.
Organizers say Mr. Bush and Mr. Harper also will discuss the war in Afghanistan, where Canada and the United States have troops.
Mr. Bush and Mr. Calderon are expected to focus on immigration and the fight against drug-trafficking.
Canadian police have set up a three-meter high fence around a hotel hosting the summit, where protesters hope to stage demonstrations.
Critics of the summit say the negotiations between the three leaders lack transparency and threaten to undermine the rights of ordinary people.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
