President Barack Obama reassured Canada, his country's top trading partner, that he would not pursue protectionist policies. The two countries also agreed to work together on developing cleaner energy technology. Obama, on his first trip abroad as president, addressed Canadian concerns over a "Buy American" clause in a recent U.S. economic recovery plan during talks with Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Obama emphasized the importance of avoiding protectionism and promoting trade as beneficial to all countries. He assured Harper that the United States would uphold its international trade commitments and expressed a desire to expand trade rather than restrict it. Harper expressed confidence that the United States would uphold its obligations and maintain its leadership in promoting global trade. He mentioned a willingness to enhance the environmental and labor aspects of NAFTA, a goal also shared by Obama. However, Harper clarified that he did not support renegotiating the agreement, which has increased trade between the two countries. Both sides agreed to work together on eco-friendly technologies to create an electricity grid powered by clean energy and to extract fossil fuels with reduced pollution. Despite the current lack of cost-effectiveness, the technology is being developed. Obama emphasized the importance of energy production and usage in relation to economic recovery, security, and environmental sustainability. He acknowledged the complexity of these issues and stated that there is no simple solution. Environmentalists are urging Obama to pressure Canada to address the environmental impact of oil sands extraction in Alberta, which emits significant amounts of greenhouse gases. Despite concerns raised by environmentalists, Obama highlighted Canada's significance as a major energy supplier to the United States, especially during the current economic crisis. The majority of the oil sands' output is intended for U.S. markets. Despite agreeing to promote green energy development, Harper stated it was premature for the countries to discuss a shared plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Obama, who recently took office, promised during his campaign to decrease U.S. emissions by 80% of 1990 levels by 2050. In contrast to his predecessor, George W. Bush, Obama is committed to addressing global warming, but believes climate change efforts must consider economic factors during a global recession. A White House official mentioned that the joint U.S.-Canadian green energy initiative will focus on areas like carbon capture, sequestration, and the smart grid. Carbon dioxide is the primary greenhouse gas that scientists believe is responsible for warming the Earth. Carbon sequestration, the process of capturing and storing the gas underground before it is released into the atmosphere, is not yet economically feasible. In Afghanistan, where Canada has 2,700 troops as part of a NATO-led force combatting a growing insurgency, President Obama stated that he has not requested additional military assistance. This week, Obama authorized the deployment of 17,000 new U.S. troops to Afghanistan to combat the insurgency. Prime Minister Harper announced that Canada, which plans to withdraw its troops by 2011, will increase economic aid to Afghanistan, currently the largest recipient of Canadian foreign aid.