President Donald Trump set aside his differences today with his liberal counterpart to the north, Justin Trudeau, praising the Canadian leader's home country not just a neighbor but and an ally but a 'great friend' as he welcomed the prime minister to the White House, which he called a 'very special place.'

Ideological opposites, the two leaders were cordial as they took questions at a news conference in the White House's East Room.

Trudeau has welcomed refugees to Canada with open arms, but he today refused to weigh in on the American president's travel ban.

'There have been times where we have differed in our approaches, and that's always been done firmly and respectfully,' he said. 'The last thing Canadians expect is for me to come down and lecture another country on how they choose to govern themselves.'

Trump backed off of his carte blanch criticism of the North American Free Trade Agreement, saying the U.S. has an 'outstanding' trade partnership with Canada. The portion affecting their two nations he said he wants 'tweaked.'

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President Donald Trump set aside his differences today with his liberal counterpart Justin Trudeau, praising the Canadian leader's home country as not just a neighbor but an 'ally' and a 'great friend' as he welcomed the prime minister to the White House, which he called a 'very special place'

By the end of the visit Trump said he was looking forward to 'working closely' with Trudeau 'to build upon our very historic friendship'

AFTER YOU, MR. PRESIDENT: Trump and Trudeau exit the Oval Office after meeting at the White House

The leaders of the neighboring nations had never met. Trump greeted Trudeau, who has been critical of the American president's travel restrictions on his own soil, with handshake and a pat on the shoulder.

Trudeau gripped Trump's hand and his left shoulder momentarily before they disappeared into the West Wing for a photo op in the Oval Office before a day of talks.

President Trump said later in the day that the Canadian PM gifted him with a photo of himself and Trudeau's father, Pierre, a former prime minister, this morning.

In the Oval, minutes after Trudeau's arrival, Trump barely said a word to him as a hoard of photographer snapped pictures.

A relaxed Trudeau lounged in a chair to Trump's right, while the president looked to his left and tapped his fingers with impatience.

'I think they might want a handshake,' Trump finally, said, reaching over to grab Trudeau's hand before aides kicked out the press.

By the end of the visit, however, Trump said he was looking forward to 'working closely' with Trudeau 'to build upon our very historic friendship.'

GRIP AND GRIN: President Donald Trump greets Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau outside the West Wing of the White House

The leaders of the neighboring nations have never met, and Trump greeted Trudeau, who has been critical of the American president's travel ban, with handshake

Trump's hosting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today at the White House

Three days ago, Trump rolled out the red carpet for Japan's prime minister, whom he'd hosted in New York on a previous occasion, giving him a hug and a handhold outside the exterior of the White House and an extra long hand shake inside.

The billionaire paid out of pocket for Shinzo Abe and his wife to spend the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago estate, solidifying their working relationship.

Trudeau received the customary greeting in front of the West Wing entrance and an Oval Office meeting before a business round table.

The Canadian prime minister's relationship with Barack Obama, a fellow liberal who entered the White House with young children, was playfully deemed a bromance.

Trudeau, 45, and Trump, 70, as not nearly as well matched.

Nevertheless, Trump told a reporter today asking about their initial impressions of each other: 'We are going to have a great relationship with Canada, maybe as good or better, hopefully than ever before.

'We have some I think very strong, very tough ideas on the tremendous problem that we have with terrorism.'

Trudeau had said he expects to 'find a lot of common ground' with the Republican president, despite their dissimilarities.

The Canadian PM was supportive of Barack Obama's Trans-Pacific Partnership and said in November he'd 'miss' his American counterpart.

Trump believes that TPP, which he nixed his first few days in office, and NAFTA have been bad for American workers. He wants to restructure the free trade between the U.S. and its neighbors.

He said Monday at he and Trudeau's news conference that he's more concerned about changing terms of the agreement as it pertains to Mexico.

'We have a very outstanding trade relationship with Canada. We'll be tweaking it,' he said, referring to NAFTA. 'We'll be doing certain things that are going to benefit both of our countries. It's a much less severe situation than what's taken place on the southern border.'

He said moments later, 'Our relationship with Canada is outstanding. And we're going to work together to make it even better.'

In the Oval, Trump barely said a word to Trudeau as a hoard of photographer snapped pictures

'I think they might want a handshake,' Trump finally said to his counterpart

Trudeau has said he expects to 'find a lot of common ground' with the Republican president, despite their disagreements over trade and differing political ideologies

Trudeau said that the two countries' government would be sitting down over the coming months and 'talking about how we can continue to create good jobs for our citizens on both sides of the border.

'And during this exercise, we continue to understand that we have to allow this free flow of goods and services and we have to be aware of the integration of our economies which is extremely positive for both our countries.'

Three quarters of Canada's exports go to the United States. U.S. exports to Canada were $337.3 billion in 2015 and imports were $325.4 billion - a trade surplus of $11.9 billion.

The Angus Reid Institute published a poll in advance of Trudeau's U.S. visit showing that forty-four percent of Canadians belief that NAFTA had benefited Canada. A mere 24 percent want their government to take another look at it.

At a general election debate Trump said the 1993 accord that was negotiated by George H.W. Bush and shepherded through Congress by Democrat Bill Clinton is 'the single worst trade deal ever approved in this country.'

The Republican argued that 'NAFTA is the worst trade deal maybe ever signed anywhere, but certainly ever signed in this country.'

'President Trump is committed to renegotiating NAFTA,' the White House said in the wake of his TPP cancellation. 'If our partners refuse a renegotiation that gives American workers a fair deal, then the President will give notice of the United States’ intent to withdraw from NAFTA.'

Trump said recently that he may have his administration rewrite the accord entirely, adding another F to NAFTA for 'fair' trade.

At his news conference Friday Trudeau said he intended to 'defend and demonstrate Canadian values' in his meetings at the White House today but 'respectfully and not from an ideological standpoint.'

Trudeau had previously taken a slap at Trump on Twitter, signaling his belief that the the conservative leader's travel restrictions on terror-prone nations constitutes a Muslim ban.

'To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength #WelcomeToCanada,' the liberal politician said.

Asked today if he believes that Trump's order has merit on national security grounds, Trudeau said, ' Canada and the United States have been neighbors a long time and Canadians and Americans have stood together, worked together, at home and around the world.

'We've fought and died together in battlefields in World War I and World War II, in Korea, in Afghanistan,' he said. 'But there have been times where we have differed in our approaches, and that's always been done firmly and respectfully.'

The Canadian leader said he doesn't believe his country's citizens would want him to lecture the American president.

'My role, our responsibility, is to continue to govern in such a way that reflects Canadians' approach and be a positive example in the world,' he said.

Though it did not come up in the news conference, the leaders have at least one policy area on which they agree, and that is Trump's reversal of Obama's decision on the Keystone XL pipeline. The Obama administration rejected Trans-Canada's proposal, indefinitely suspending construction.

One of his first acts as president, Trump ordered an about-face on the U.S. position - giving a preliminary green a light to the project. To get final approval the Canadian company must agree to certain conditions such as the production of the pipeline elements in the United States.

They just concluded at a business round table with Trump's daughter Ivanka, right, and other women entrepreneurs and executives, including General Motors' Carol Stephenson

A joint statement said they were launching a Canada-United States Council for Advancement of Women Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders

In addition to their press conference, Trudeau and Trump also spoke at a business round table that the president's daughter Ivanka and other women entrepreneurs and executives, including General Motors' Carol Stephenson, also attended.

A joint statement said they were launching a Canada-United States Council for Advancement of Women Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders.

'Both President Trump and Prime Minister Trudeau are committed to removing barriers to women’s economic participation and supporting women as they advance in the business community,' the statement said.

Trump said at the round table that Ivanka has been 'very involved in this' and he appreciated her contribution.

'I'm honored to be here with Prime Minister Trudeau. His father I knew and respected greatly, and he gave me a picture of myself and your father, and what a great picture I will keep that in a very special place, at the Waldorf Astoria, together,' Trump said, making reference to a famous New York City hotel.

Trudeau's father Pierre was also prime minister.