Overview Paper for the Prime Minister: President Reagan’s visit to Ottawa

Considerable more diplomatic in wording than Kinsman’s memo, Paul Heinbecker outlines for Trudeau the new American mood, Reagan’s desire for good relations with Canada and other neighbours but also the importance of effectively communicating Canada’s differing perspectives and positions from the United States on economic, environmental and related issues, insightfully noting that because the two countries are so similar, “the differences can be so jarring.” Convincing Reagan that these differences did not pose threats, and that Canada was a committed ally, was identified as an essential objective that Trudeau needed to accomplish on the visit.