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Harper heads to Washington to talk with Obama on border security, trade

OTTAWA -- Stephen Harper is on his way to Washington for talks with U.S. President Barack Obama on the idea of a North American security "perimeter."

The prime minister is scheduled to sit down with Obama in the Oval Office for about an hour before a joint news conference scheduled for shortly after 3 p.m. ET. Management of the U.S.-Canada border is a complex issue that calls for the careful balancing of security, sovereignty and trade issues.

Sources tell The Canadian Press the summit has twice been postponed because Ottawa felt U.S. Homeland Security was demanding too much information about Canadian travellers. The federal Liberals say they fear Harper will compromise Canadian sovereign interests, such as immigration, in exchange for freer trade.

Harper and Obama are expected to announce that they hope to get a deal signed before the end of the year.

The goal is to entrench joint operations on intelligence, law enforcement and migration, while allowing the unfettered flow of goods, people and services across the border. NDP Leader Jack Layton has complained the summit talks are shrouded in secrecy, when the issue issue cries out for open debate in the House of Commons.

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