Visiting US President Barack Obama and Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper agreed on Thursday to cooperate on environmental protection and energy security, said Harper.

"President Obama and I agreed to a new initiative that will further cross-border cooperation on environmental protection and energy security," Harper told a joint press conference.

"We are establishing a US-Canada clean energy dialogue which commits senior officials from both countries to collaborate on the development of clean energy, science, and technologies that will reduce greenhouse gases and combat climate change," he said.

The two leaders also agreed their two nations "must work closely to counter the global economic recession" through stimulus measures and by supporting efforts to stabilize the global financial system, he said.

They also vowed to continue to work together to try to secure and rebuild Afghanistan.