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WASHINGTON — John Baird will be the first foreign minister to sit down with America’s newest secretary of state on Friday when he meets with John Kerry at the State Department to discuss an array of bilateral and international issues.

The two men will “discuss ways to deepen co-operation in the extensive Canada-U.S. relationship,” including efforts to streamline trade and travel at the border, Victoria Nuland, State’s spokeswoman, told the department’s daily briefing on Thursday.

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Kerry, who was officially sworn in on Wednesday, insisted that he meet first with Canada’s foreign minister, she added.

“The secretary felt very strongly that our Canadian neighbour and ally should come first,” Nuland said.

In a statement, Baird said he was looking forward to working with Kerry “to find new ways to create jobs, growth and opportunity on both sides of our shared border.”

Baird’s visit to the U.S. capital comes just five days after he and Kerry had a 15-minute phone call on Sunday.