OTTAWA - Prime Minister Stephen Harper will be in Washington next week for his long-awaited, border security meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama.

The prime minister's office has been trying for months to arrange a meeting with the White House to roll out a much-hyped Canada-U.S. perimeter security deal.

Sources say Harper has been waiting for an opportunity to sign the agreement in a high-profile setting with Obama.

The perimeter arrangement is an attempt to protect the continent from terrorist threats while speeding the flow of people and products across the border.

Harper and Obama met last February to announce a broad road map of the initiative and most of the work was completed by late summer.

Harper's spokesman says the leaders will discuss competitiveness, trade and security and key global issues.