The two U.S. Ambassadors in Ottawa named by George W. Bush didn't pull any punches. Paul Cellucci and David Wilkins never hesitated before speaking ill of Canadian political leaders.

The new U.S. Ambassador, David Jacobson, in office since last week, promises to engage in a constructive relationship. The motto of this personal friend of Barack Obama's: to look for common ground when there is disagreement.

Mr. Jacobson was in Montreal this week. His visit to Quebec was the beginning of a six-week tour of all ten Canadian provinces. He granted us an exclusive interview. Will the change of tone in Washington also be evident in Ottawa?

Q: La Presse: What role would Barack Obama like to see you play in Canada?

R: David Jacobson: I think that I will first and foremost try to convey to Canadians the President's message of hope and change. Of course there are many ways in which to do this, but I think it is the most fundamental aspect of my work.

Q: You aren't a career diplomat. In your opinion, what is the role of an ambassador?

R: One of my responsibilities is to explain to the Canadian government - and more importantly to the Canadian people - the policies of my country and of my government. And I think my experience as an attorney will be very useful in this.

Another of my responsibilities is to try to understand as best I can what Canadians and their leaders think to then try to explain it to Washington. Finally, my responsibility is to wake up in the morning and go to sleep at night thinking about the relationship between the United States and Canada as a whole.

Q: Many people in Canada where shocked by what your predecessors thought their role was. Paul Cellucci, for example, said he was disappointed that Canada wouldn't declare war on Iraq. David Wilkins criticized Prime Minister Paul Martin for complaining that the United States hadn't signed the Kyoto Protocol. Should we expect to see you also criticizing the Prime Minister of Canada?

R: There are moments in a relationship where you won't agree on everything. It's inevitable in the case of two sovereign nations and of a relationship as deep and complex as that between Canada and the United States. I like to believe, however, that we can address these differences in a constructive way.

Q: Should we understand that you will probably be more cautious than your predecessors?

R: My two predecessors were wonderful public servants and they did good work.. I will not criticize them in any way. I don't know the facts and the circumstances surrounding what they said. All I can offer is my vision of things. And I think that what I know, I learned from the President. It is that you must always try to find common ground in any relationship.

Q: Lets talk about the main issues. Last week, journalists said that a deal that would exclude Canada from the Buy American clause (in the U.S. government's economic stimulus plan) is imminent…

R: I don't know where the journalist got his information but what I can tell you is that there is no deal at the moment. There have been talks on this issue and both sides have said that the talks were constructive. I can now participate in those talks and I intend to facilitate them. I am hopeful that we can find a solution.

Q: Afghanistan could be the most important issue of your mandate. Until now, your President has been too diplomatic to ask us to prolong our mission (beyond 2011) in that country. Will you do it for him?

R: I will tell you the same thing the President said to Prime Minister Harper when they met in Washington. Our focus is first and foremost making sure that Canadian and American troops in Afghanistan work as efficiently as possible to attain our common goals in 2009 and 2010.

Q: Barack Obama has just won the Nobel Peace Prize "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." You are one of his friends. What motivates him? What is the source of all his efforts?

R: First, his central idea that you must respect others and try to treat them with the same respect and the same dignity with which you would like to be treated. Second, his basic principle that we need to emphasize the things which unite us rather than the those which divide us.

Q: The prize signifies above all else an endorsement of his foreign policy. You play a role in this policy. Don't you think expectations will be too high from now on?

R: He faces extremely difficult problems and choices but I don't think people's expectations will become unrealistic. The challenges he will have to overcome, as he has often said, are complex. And I don't think the Nobel Prize will make them easier or more difficult to overcome.