The relationship between Canada and United States "is a role model for the world" the U.S. ambassador to Canada told The Hill Times. But Paul Cellucci said the two countries should be focusing on the need to build "smart borders" and not be engaged in discussions about a "more formal economic union like Europe."

Said Mr. Cellucci: "I'm not saying that debate not to take place, I'm just saying that it should take place at a later date." Mr. Cellucci said both Canada and United States "have worked progressively to put this matter, [of] secure borders in place. This will facilitate the flow of traffic and commerce at our border."

The American diplomat also said in the interview that he "would like to focus on what we can get done. I want to be focusing on getting results quickly." He said there is a large debate on more formal integration today "on whether we need to have a more formal economic union like Europe, whether we need the border or we should have a monetary union and other important suggestions."

But Mr. Cellucci said that "those are big questions that involve sovereign issues and I do not want the progress we are making on a smart, secure border to get held up because of this." Moreover, Mr. Cellucci said he is very happy with the state of the relationship between the two countries. "I think the media sometimes tend to take things out of context, exaggerate them."

As for Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's (Saint-Maurice, Que.) recent controversial comments on the first anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on the U.S., Mr. Cellucci said: "Failed states and people living in poverty and how we need to help them to get out of poverty, it's exactly what the President of United States is saying."

In particular Mr. Cellucci said that "if we read the President's national security strategy, he talks about how these Œfailed states,' where people are poor, is where these terrorist organizations can get a foothold. It is where the drug cartel can get a foothold. So we need to work to eradicate poverty in the world. We believe that on this subject Canada and United States are absolutely on the same wavelength. We need to export what we have here in North America."

Moreover, in order to defuse global tension Mr. Cellucci said "we have to help these countries to create the climate for investments in trade, because trade will enable the economy to grow so that people will have jobs and a better life. We definitely want that. Canada and United States are definitely together on that."

Talking about the present relationship between the two countries and the support that Washington, D.C., has lately received from Ottawa, Mr. Cellucci said that "the cooperation between U.S. and Canada has been outstanding." Asked if Mr. Cellucci, a former Massachusetts governor missed politics, he said: "I'm a very lucky guy. I was in politics for 31 years in my home state of Massachusetts and I've loved every minute of it; however, I'm been up here for a year and a half as ambassador and I've loved every minute of this job. I'm very lucky guy."