Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird (Ottawa West-Nepean, Ont.) will make a bilateral visit on Sept. 13 and 14, 2013, to Istanbul, Turkey, where he will advance Canada’s interests on a number of important files. During his visit, Baird will meet with Turkey’s President Abdullah Gül as well as Ahmet Davutolu, minister of foreign affairs, for … Read more
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird (Ottawa West-Nepean, Ont.) and Andrew Bennett, Canada’s Ambassador for Religious Freedom said they are concerned by reports of Christians from the village of Maaloula, near Damascus, being forced to convert to Islam by Syrian rebels allegedly led by al Qaeda-linked fighters. “Canada stands by the Syrian people, who deserve the … Read more
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird (Ottawa West-Nepean, Ont.) issued a statement on North Korea’s Anniversary. For 65 years, the people in North Korea have suffered and continue to suffer under a rogue regime. Canada unreservedly condemns the ongoing violations of human rights in North Korea. The existence of gulags, arbitrary detentions, forced abortions, intergenerational punishment, … Read more
International Trade Minister Ed Fast (Abbotsford, B.C.) showcased the best of British Columbia’s high-quality and innovative wood and wood products to buyers and investors from more than 20 countries around the world at the 10th annual Global Buyers Mission and Wood First Forum being held in Whistler, B.C. He was joined by Conservative MP John … Read more
Minister of State of Foreign Affairs (Americas and Consular Affairs) Lynne Yelich (Blackstrap, Sask.) will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Meeting of Small and Medium Enterprise Ministers and the Women and the Economy Forum. The meetings will take place in Bali, Indonesia, from Sept. 6 to 8, 2013. Canada recognizes the enormous contributions women … Read more
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird (Ottawa West-Nepean, Ont.) issued reaction to John Kerry's statement on Syria. "Earlier [Aug. 30], U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry publicly outlined details of how they concluded that the Assad regime flagrantly used chemical weapons against its own people, causing wide-scale death and devastation in the suburbs of Damascus on … Read more
Minister of State of Foreign Affairs (Americas and Consular Affairs) Lynne Yelich (Blackstrap, Sask.) met with stakeholders across Canada over the last two weeks to raise awareness of the various services the federal government provides to Canadians abroad. Yelich met with representatives of various segments of the travel industry, including airlines, tour companies and associations. … Read more
In his first international trip since being appointed Minister of International Development and Minister for La Francophonie, Christian Paradis (Megantic-L'Erable, Que.) visited Haiti to see first-hand what progress has been made, what results have been achieved, and what development challenges must be tackled going forward. Paradis said that Canada is strongly calling on Haitian political … Read more
More than two years since the beginning of the crisis, the armed conflict continues to have devastating humanitarian consequences in Syria and neighbouring countries. Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird (Ottawa West-Nepean, Ont.) and International Cooperation Minister and Minister for La Francophonie Christian Paradis (Megantic-L'Erable, Que.) outlined details of $42.8 million in allocations to humanitarian organizations, … Read more
International Trade Minister Ed Fast (Abbotsford, B.C.) announced the intention to create a joint economic and trade committee involving Canada and Turkey. Fast was joined at the Aug. 26 announcement by Zafer Çalayan, Turkey’s minister of economy. During their meeting, the two ministers agreed to establish a joint economic and trade committee to find concrete … Read more
