Minister Robertson’s excellent briefing reminded our ELF audience that indeed, we have true friends on our northern borders.  His heartwarming remarks about Canadian assistance after 9/11 and the Katrina devastation proved that we can count on our Canadian friends.  He quoted President Bush’s recent remark, “Our two people are one family and always will be.”  It was important to get the facts from the Minister about Canada’s contributions in fighting international terrorism, especially in Afghanistan.  He emphasized that security cooperation comes not only in military alliance but also in economic partnership—through the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, and its successor, the NAFTA.  We learned from Minister Robertson that Canada is the largest supplier to the United States of oil, of crude, of natural gas, of electricity, and of uranium. U.S. trade with Canada is 446 billion in a fiscal year.  The Commerce Department estimates that sales to Canada generate 43,000 jobs in Mississippi.