Baird meets with Palestinian leaders, discusses development, peace

By The Canadian Press - Saturday, April 6, 2013 at 4:23 PM - 0 Comments

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird left no doubt Saturday that Canada and Palestinian leaders remained far apart on a number of issues, but after a series of meetings in Ramallah, he assured the region that working toward progress was a common goal.

In continuing his tour of the Middle East, Baird met with President Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and his ministerial counterpart to discuss security and economic development issues faced by the region.

While the Baird didn’t offer many specifics, he called the meetings “very productive,” saying there had been a good exchange of views.

“We certainly don’t agree on every issue. We have some profound differences of opinion on the way forward, but not on the need to go forward,” Baird told reporters.

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After visit to Iraq, John Baird sets sights on repairing relations with U.A.E.

By The Canadian Press - Tuesday, April 2, 2013 at 6:16 AM - 0 Comments

BAGHDAD – Fresh from establishing a new diplomatic beachhead in Iraq, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird turns his attention Tuesday to knocking down a contentious visa imposed on Canadians when he visits the United Arab Emirates.

Relations between Canada and the U.A.E. soured in 2010 over Canada’s refusal to grant Emirati airlines extra landing rights in Canada, a dispute that prompted the closure of a key Canadian Forces staging base outside Dubai.

The following year, the U.A.E. imposed a costly visa on Canadians visiting the country.

Diplomatic irritations were partially soothed last year with news that Canada will sell the U.A.E. nuclear technology. At the same time, the U.A.E. announced it would cut the fees for visas, though the requirement remains in place — for now.

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After visit to Iraq, John Baird sets sights on repairing relations with U.A.E.

By The Canadian Press - Monday, April 1, 2013 at 9:11 PM - 0 Comments

BAGHDAD – Fresh from establishing a new diplomatic beachhead in Iraq, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird turns his attention Tuesday to knocking down a contentious visa imposed on Canadians when he visits the United Arab Emirates.

Relations between Canada and the U.A.E. soured in 2010 over Canada’s refusal to grant Emirati airlines extra landing rights in Canada, a dispute that prompted the closure of a key Canadian Forces staging base outside Dubai.

The following year, the U.A.E. imposed a costly visa on Canadians visiting the country.

Diplomatic irritations were partially soothed last year with news that Canada will sell the U.A.E. nuclear technology. At the same time, the U.A.E. announced it would cut the fees for visas, though the requirement remains in place — for now.

The visa issue is expected to be part of Baird’s discussions with Emirati officials, although aides to Baird refused to confirm Monday whether progress would be announced.

On Monday, Baird paid an unannounced visit to Iraq, where he opened a new Canadian diplomatic mission.

Canada wants to expand its engagement with a country that’s become a pivotal force in a troubled region, and doing so requires a Canadian presence in Baghdad, Baird said in a statement.

“With conflict raging in neighbouring Syria, with the ayatollah’s regime relentlessly pursuing sectarian hegemony and nuclear ambitions, and with a NATO ally and economic partner bordering Iraq’s north, today’s opening here in Baghdad expresses Canada’s intention to expand our engagement with a key regional player.”

The new diplomatic office will be an offshoot of Canada’s embassy in Amman, Jordan, and will operate out of the British embassy in Baghdad, Baird said. Canada has not had an ambassador formally accredited to Iraq since 1991, although the embassy in Jordan was tapped to assume responsibility for Iraq in 2005.

The Baghdad office will be run by charge d’affairs Stephanie Duhaime, who served previously in Iraq, Lebanon, Bangladesh and Syria and who played a role in developing NATO and Canadian counter-insurgency efforts in Afghanistan in 2009-2010.

She is fluent in English, French and Arabic.

Baird acknowledged there are many challenges in a troubled country which lies at a crossroads of serious international security challenges.

“Today’s opening is a historic milestone in Canadian relations with Iraq and comes at a pivotal moment.” Baird said. “Ten years after the Iraqi intervention, Iraq is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, despite deep and lingering sectarian tensions.”

As Baird was holding meetings in a secure section of Baghdad on Monday, a suicide bomber drove a truck packed with fuel into a police station in Tikrit, north of the capital, killing seven officers.

Iraqi officials said at least 30 others were wounded.

On Sunday, at least seven more Iraqis were killed in attacks in the Baghdad suburb of Abu Ghraib and the western city of Fallujah.

Baird opined about the state of the Iraq’s sectarian woes saying:

“At this intersection also rests a principal fault line between Sunni, Shia and Kurdish identities, historically mired in sectarian conflict but with the potential of one day becoming a multi-confessional, pluralist society at peace with its neighbours, one where Muslims, Christians and other religious and ethnic groups will live in security and social harmony.”

Baird was in Jordan on the weekend before making his brief trip to Iraq. These stops are part of a broader tour of the Middle East, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Cyprus and Israel.

Baird is the second Canadian minister to visit Iraq in less than a month after more than 30 years without any ministerial visits. Immigration Minister Jason Kenney made a surprise trip to Baghdad in early March and met a number of senior officials.

Asia expert confirmed as first Canadian ambassador to live in Myanmar

By The Canadian Press - Friday, March 29, 2013 at 2:22 PM - 0 Comments

OTTAWA – The foreign affairs department has confirmed Canada’s choice for its first-ever resident ambassador to the burgeoning democracy of Myanmar.

Mark McDowell, who currently works in the Canadian embassy in China, has officially been named to the post.

His selection as the first Canadian ambassador to live in the country had previously been reported by media in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird travelled to Myanmar last year to signal the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

He was followed by Trade Minister Ed Fast who declared Canada’s intention to increase economic ties with the resource-rich country.

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Baird concerned with Iran ties with Venezuela, after democracy push in Cuba

By The Canadian Press - Sunday, February 17, 2013 at 9:17 PM - 0 Comments

OTTAWA – Canada is increasingly concerned with the growing cozy relations between Iran and Venezuela and intends to press the issue with the regime of Hugo Chavez in Caracas next week, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said Sunday.

“I’m concerned about Iran in general,” he told The Canadian Press from Lima, Peru. “I’m concerned about their nuclear program. I’m concerned about their support of terrorism.

“And I’m concerned about their deteriorating human rights record at home. So I don’t think we’ll see eye to eye with Venezuela on that.”

Baird is on an eight-day, six-country Latin American tour that also took him last week to Cuba, the hemisphere’s most repressive anti-democratic country. He visits Caracas on Wednesday.

The Cuba-Venezuela bond was underscored as Baird arrived in Havana on Friday. He was greeted with the release of a new photograph of Chavez convalescing happily in a Cuban hospital, where he has spent the last two months receiving treatment for cancer.

Though Venezuela is a functioning democracy, it has in Chavez an aging and ailing iron-fisted leader similar to that of communist Cuba, where Raul Castro, 81, succeeded his iconic, 86-year-old brother Fidel five years ago, and has begun instituting modest economic reforms.

Baird said he is pushing for deeper economic and commercial engagement for Canada in both countries because that can promote change at what is looking like a pivotal moment in history.

The minister said he sees potential for Canadian companies in the financial services, energy and mining sectors.

But with Chavez potentially on his last legs, the Obama administration is hopeful it can reset relations with Venezuela. Chavez has courted Iran as an ally.

The Obama administration believes Iran is trying to gain a foothold in Latin America, including perhaps establishing a military base.

Last week, Venezuela had to explain a $46-million cheque found in the possession of Iran’s former central bank chief when he was detained in Germany.

On Sunday, a report by Iran’s Press TV said Venezuela’s state-owned weapons manufacturer, CAVIM, would continue to do business with Iran in the face of sanctions by the U.S. State Department.

Baird said he is eager to bring up the Iran relationship with his counterpart in Caracas later this week.

“On Iran, we have strong views,” he said.

Baird is also scheduled to meet with opposition figures in Venezuela.

“The elections held recently were by no means perfect but I think even the opposition conceded they were much better than anticipated,” Baird said in reference to the ballot that returned Chavez to power last fall before his illness struck.

“Obviously, we want to promote democracy, and we want to promote political freedoms.”

In Cuba, Baird said he had frank discussions with his counterpart, Bruno Rodriguez, who at 54 is a political spring chicken compared the octogenarian holdovers from the 1959 revolution who still occupy high offices.

Since taking charge, Raul Castro has allowed a series of small, free market reforms, and eased travel restrictions on Cubans.

“I think there’s a long way to go,” said Baird. “They’re beginning to make some significant economic reform, so I think there’s some reason for optimism there.”

He also said Cuba is beginning a transition to new leadership.

“There is beginning to be a change of the guard in the cabinet, and among the senior leadership — just a beginning — I think that gives us some reason for optimism,” he said.

“Obviously, we want to see people in Cuba live in freedom and prosperity.”

Baird said Canada still opposes Cuba’s return to the Organization of American States when it holds its next summit in 2015, saying the country needs to go further on its reforms. Canada and the U.S. oppose the return of Cuba to the 35-country Western Hemisphere club.

But Canada supports Cuba’s calls for the United States to end its five-decade long economic embargo.

“Obviously, we don’t share views with our closest friend and ally on that issue,” said Baird, who noted that the Obama administration has eased some of the provisions of the embargo in recent years.

Despite the embargo, Baird said he was surprised by the U.S. presence in Havana.

The American Interest Office, he said, which houses U.S. diplomats, “is the biggest foreign office in the country. There were Americans everywhere I went — in the elevator at the hotel.”

Canadian federal employee dies in Ghana after found unconscious in hotel: reports

By The Canadian Press - Tuesday, February 12, 2013 at 10:35 AM - 0 Comments

OTTAWA – A Canadian federal employee has reportedly died in Ghana after being found unconscious at his hotel.

He’s identified in media reports as 54-year-old Darrell Prokopetz, a project manager with the Canada School of Public Service, which trains civil servants.

Asked about the death, the Department of Foreign Affairs in Ottawa would only say the deceased was not part of two of the federal government’s recent initiatives in the West African country.

Spokesman John Babcock says the person was not involved in the trade mission led by Minister Ed Fast or in an education fair in the capital city.

He says consular officials in Accra, Ghana, are providing assistance as needed and working with local authorities to get more information. Prokopetz reportedly died Jan. 30 in Accra.

John Baird’s six most pressing international files

By Michael Petrou - Sunday, January 27, 2013 at 9:46 PM - 0 Comments

John Baird’s priorities for 2013 will focus on trade. Security issues, however, may force themselves to a more prominent place on this government’s agenda. Here are Baird’s most pressing international files:

The Keystone XL pipeline:

U.S. approval of the pipeline, designed to carry Canadian crude oil to U.S. refineries, has been long delayed. U.S. President Barack Obama sent the proposal to the State Department for a revised assessment to avoid dealing with the issue prior to the American election in November. American Environmentalists fiercely oppose the plan, and Obama wanted their votes.

The results of that State Department assessment are expected this spring. Obama’s nomination of John Kerry, seen as an environmental advocate, for secretary of state has raised concerns among Keystone advocates that America might reject the project. Canada is seeking alternative markets for Canadian oil, but America remains its most lucrative customer and Baird will be working hard to close this deal.

A Canada-European Union free trade deal:

The Foreign Affairs website still lists concluding an agreement with the European Union as a priority for 2012 — underlining the slower-than-expected pace of ongoing negotiations. Reports say a deal is imminent, but we’ve been hearing that for a while.

A Canada-India free trade deal:

Canada’s negotiations with India began in 2010. Canadian Prime Minster Stephen Harper and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh re-affirmed their desire to close the deal by the end of this year when Harper visited India last fall. A seventh round of talks will be held next month in New Delhi.

Mali:

Just because a country doesn’t plan for a war doesn’t mean it won’t be involved in one. An unexpected advance by Islamist rebels in northern Mali toward the capital, Bamako, earlier this month prompted France to deploy troops at the request of Mali’s fragile, post-coup government. France and Mali’s poorly trained soldiers are now actively fighting Islamsits from al-Qaeda’s North Africa franchise, along with affiliated groups. Canada has committed one C-17 transport plane to ferry gear from France to Mali. Harper suggests Canada’s contribution may expand, but he wants “broad consensus” in Parliament. Mali will be debated during the first week the House returns.

Afghanistan:

Afghanistan has faded from the headlines with the end of Canada’s combat mission there, but it remains this country’s largest overseas military commitment, with some 925 Canadian soldiers and 45 civilian police deployed as part of a NATO mission to train Afghan soldiers and police. Foreign Affairs’ Stabilization and Reconstruction Task Force will spend about $25 million a year there until 2014, when the military mission is due to end.

Barring any Canadian casualties — especially from insider “green on blue” attacks by Afghan security forces that killed 60 foreign troops in 2012 — this file may be a quiet one in 2013. Next year, when Canadians will be forced to pay attention to the sort of country we’re leaving behind, it will heat up.

Iran: Baird calls Iran the biggest threat to international peace and security in the world. In an interview with Maclean’s, he voiced his support for President Obama’s position that military force may be necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. If Israel or the United States strikes Iran this year, world opinion will be polarized. Canada may find itself among the few nations supporting such an attack, and it will be up to Baird to explain why.

Iran

Baird calls Iran the biggest threat to international peace and security in the world. In an interview with Maclean’s, he voiced his support for President Obama’s position that military force may be necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. If Israel or the United States strikes Iran this year, world opinion will be polarized. Canada may find itself among the few nations supporting such an attack, and it will be up to Baird to explain why.

John Baird to meet privately with Zimbabwe’ finance minister

By The Canadian Press - Wednesday, January 9, 2013 at 11:03 AM - 0 Comments

OTTAWA – Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird is set to meet with Zimbabwe’s Minister of Finance in Ottawa this afternoon.

Tendai Biti will be speaking privately with Baird and his parliamentary secretary, Deepak Obhrai.

A spokesman for Baird says the meeting will provide an update on financial and economic reforms in Zimbabwe.

Rick Roth says the meeting will also be an opportunity for Baird to express Canadian views on the need for continued political reform in Zimbabwe, including a referendum on a new constitution, free and fair elections, and the respect for human rights. Continue…

More Canadian peacekeepers may be bound for troubled Haiti in 2013

By The Canadian Press - Thursday, December 20, 2012 at 5:08 PM - 0 Comments

OTTAWA – The Harper government is quietly considering a proposal to contribute more peacekeepers to the UN stabilization mission in Haiti in a goodwill gesture aimed at Brazil.

The emerging economic power of South America is the biggest contributor to the international military force in the long-suffering Caribbean nation.

Officials in Ottawa and Brasilia have discussed the idea of embedding a Canadian platoon of soldiers in an existing Brazilian unit, as well as deploying additional Canadian troops to help with headquarters and logistics.

The initial contribution plan, obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act, calls for a force of 50 Canadian soldiers to augment the five already there.

A briefing note to Defence Minister Peter MacKay, dated Jan. 6, 2012, says the security situation has stabilized following the earthquake, but remains fragile.

The proposal has been floating around National Defence headquarters for almost two years, but has yet to receive the blessing of the federal cabinet despite — according to the documents — having the backing MacKay and Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird.

Canada condemns North Korea’s launch of long-range rocket

By The Canadian Press - Wednesday, December 12, 2012 at 8:56 AM - 0 Comments

OTTAWA – Canada is strongly condemning North Korea’s launch of a long-range rocket, calling it reckless and provocative.

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird says the North’s actions “clearly demonstrate its wilful defiance of its international obligations”

In a statement issued late Tuesday, Baird added that the regime in Pyongyang is a grave threat to the security and stability of the region and beyond.

Baird says with this latest launch, the regime has once again shown total disregard for its people by choosing to fund military and nuclear programs while the basic needs of the population go unmet.

He also urged North Korea to live up to its international obligations.

About two hours after the launch, North Korea’s state media proclaimed it a success, prompting celebrations across the capital.

The North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) later confirmed that North Korea did appear to have put an object into space.

The United Nations, as well as the U.S. and its allies see the launch as cover for a test of technology for missiles.

Iran suspends death sentence for Canadian resident: media reports

By The Canadian Press - Monday, December 3, 2012 at 5:47 PM - 0 Comments

OTTAWA – Ottawa says it welcomes reports that Iran has suspended the death sentence for a Canadian resident.

The published reports have not been confirmed. A spokeswoman for the Department of Foreign Affairs says Canada has “long called for clemency” for Saeed Malekpour, a computer programmer who was facing execution on charges of developing and promoting porn websites.

Various western media outlets cited a report in the semi-official Iranian news agency Mehr that they said reported Malekpour’s sentence was suspended after he “repented.”

The Mehr story, which could not be found on the agency’s English-language website, reportedly cites his lawyer as the source of the news.

His supporters, including his wife who now lives in Richmond Hill, Ont., have said he was arrested in Iran in October 2008 after a trip to visit his ailing father.

Malekpour was born in Iran but became a permanent Canadian resident in 2004.

Similar reports emerged last year when defence lawyers told the Guardian newspaper the conviction was quashed after they presented the court with expert evidence.

But subsequent media reports said the death sentence was confirmed, prompting Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird to publicly call for Malekpour’s release.

“Canada is deeply concerned about reports that Iranian citizen Saeed Malekpour’s death sentence has been confirmed by the Iranian authorities,” the minister said in a statement on Jan. 29.

“His case is but one example of the refusal by Iranian authorities to respect their international human rights obligations.”

Canada recalling diplomats from Israel, West Bank and UN over Palestinian vote

By The Canadian Press - Friday, November 30, 2012 at 8:44 AM - 0 Comments

OTTAWA – Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird is temporarily recalling senior diplomats from Israel, the West Bank and the UN missions in New York and Geneva.

He says he wants to get their views on the implications of the UN General Assembly vote which recognized the Palestinians as a non-member observer state at the world body.

“Canada is deeply disappointed but not surprised by yesterday’s result at the United Nations General Assembly,” he said in a statement Friday.

“Our government’s position is clear: the only way to achieve a just and lasting peace is through negotiations, not unilateral actions.”

“To that end, Canada is bringing its heads of missions in Israel and Ramallah and its permanent representatives to the UN in New York and Geneva back to Ottawa temporarily to assess the implications of yesterday’s UN General Assembly vote and inform Canada’s response to it.”

In a televised interview with the CBC, Baird said he wants to talk to the diplomats who are closest to the situation.

“I want to get a sense of where we go from here,” he said.

The minister said in his statement that Canada will review its whole relationship with the Palestinian Authority.

He added he is deeply disappointed by the UN vote, and that the only way to peace in the Middle East is through negotiations, not what he called “unilateral actions.”

The General Assembly decision is an “impediment to peace,” Baird said.

Canada was among a tiny minority of countries opposing the resolution as the Palestinians easily won recognition Thursday. The resolution to upgrade their status was approved by a vote of 138-9, with 41 abstentions.

Moscow embassy vulnerable to terror attack, espionage

By The Canadian Press - Sunday, November 18, 2012 at 7:06 PM - 0 Comments

OTTAWA – Canada’s diplomats in Moscow will have to work another three years in an embassy compound that’s vulnerable to terrorist attack and the prying eyes of foreign spies, The Canadian Press has learned.

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird was warned in an internal memo from a senior bureaucrat that Canada’s embassy in the Russian capital offers “almost no protection” against a terrorist attack.

A leaked copy of the memo details the stalled embassy project, outlining why diplomats won’t be moving to a more secure facility until January 2016 instead of last July as planned.

The delay has added nearly $30 million to the cost of the project, since Foreign Affairs received approval in 2008 to move the embassy to a more suitable building.

A quarter of the increased cost — or $7.5 million — is for extra construction to keep unidentified “threats” from spying on Canadian diplomats in the new embassy.

The memo surfaced after the recent high-profile closures of Canada’s embassies in Iran and Syria, decisions that Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Baird have said were made to keep Canadian diplomats out of harm’s way.

Meanwhile, the current Russian embassy remains open even though the “embassy complex does not meet DFAIT security standards in terms of the building envelope.”

The Canadian embassy and ambassador’s residence have been housed in a series of connected buildings in Moscow that date back to 1898.

“The possibility of terrorist incidents in Russia is high and the existing site offers almost no protection against an attack. Moscow is an extremely hostile environment and the current site is highly vulnerable to counter-intelligence threats,” says the memo from an associate deputy minister.

“These buildings have deteriorated beyond acceptable workplace standards. Compounded by age, numerous physical and structural deficiencies, and severe overcrowding, the chancery poses ongoing health, safety and security risks to Embassy staff and other user(s) of the facility, and impedes the effective delivery of mission programs.”

Hundreds of people have been killed in terrorist attacks in Moscow dating back to the mid-1990s. The two most recent — also cited in a Foreign Affairs warning to Canadian travellers — are the January 2011 blast at Moscow’s Domodedovo International Airport that killed 30 and injured about 100; and the March 2010 rush-hour attacks on the Moscow subway system that killed 37 and injured 120.

Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Jessica Seguin said precautions are being taken to ensure that Canada’s personnel, interests and visitors are protected at its Russian embassy.

“This property meets Canada’s immediate needs while respecting taxpayers’ money,” she said in prepared media lines delivered over email. “A re-scoping of the proposed project was recently completed and costs are expected to be reduced.”

The department will absorb the extra project cost, which will impose an added financial burden because the last federal budget called for $170 million to be shaved from Foreign Affairs’ $2.6-billion annual budget.

NDP foreign affairs critic Paul Dewar said the delays in the embassy project raise questions about the government’s ability to manage Canada’s diplomatic missions.

“It shows incompetence at a time when the government is cutting staff overseas. They’re closing embassies and making the claim at the same time that security and safety of their staff is a top priority,” Dewar said.

“What’s happening in the interim? Does that mean, as we speak, we’re vulnerable? If so, what are they doing about it?”

In February 2008, Treasury Board gave approval to Foreign Affairs to sign a new 20-year lease with the Russian government. Russia’s foreign ministry leases embassy space in the country from an inventory of properties under its control.

The decision to move was made following a 2007 audit by the department that found the embassy deficient.

A lease for a new building was signed in March 2008, contingent on Foreign Affairs coming back to Treasury Board with a revised submission on the final cost.

Canada signed the lease because the Russians offered a building “at submarket rates” that would provide a “long-term solution.”

But there was a catch.

“The offer was time-sensitive and required the Canadian government to respond by March 1, 2008 or the property would have been offered to another organization,” the memo states.

The new building has since sat unused while the project cost jumped from $78.1 million to $107.3 million, in part because of $9.5 million of “increased rent costs while the building remains unoccupied.”

Dewar said the government needs to answer publicly for how it negotiated the new embassy with the Russian government.

“Is this the standard for all other countries, or are we just seen as suckers, or the ones who will pay a king’s ransom for an empty building?”

The added Russian embassy project costs include $7.5 million to pay for “increased construction costs to mitigate counter intelligence threats.”

The embassy move comes amid a full-blown spy scandal between Canada and Russia.

Navy Sub-Lt. Jeffrey Paul Delisle pleaded guilty last month to espionage-related charges and breach of trust for selling classified information to Russia from 2007 to 2012. Delisle, 41, worked as a threat-assessment analyst at a highly secretive military facility in Halifax.

The Delisle affair has sparked concerns that Canada has compromised the secrets of its allies in the “Five Eyes” intelligence group that includes the United States, Britain, Australia and New Zealand.

The memo attributes delays to the “intelligence-related threats in Russia,” but provides no specifics.

“Addressing this threat to the satisfaction of the Department and our key allies has added to the complexity of the project and has required significantly more consultation than typical chancery projects,” says the memo.

Other extra costs include $4.6 million for “additional specialized on-site supervision to mitigate counter intelligence threats,” and a Russia value-added tax or VAT of $6.6 million.

“Russia changed its policy for diplomatic entities after 2008 and now requires diplomatic entities to pay VAT at source. Although this is recoverable, the process is neither clear nor timely,” says the memo.

Foreign Affairs also blamed delays on the “byzantine design and building permit approval process in Moscow.”

Baird was told his department was sitting on a sensitive story that would likely become public because some MPs had noticed problems on a recent visit to Moscow.

“The department will take a responsive approach to questions from the media and members of Parliament, should they arise,” says a section of the memo under heading of “communications implication/actions.”

Under the heading “Parliamentary implications/actions,” the memo states: “We can expect some interest by parliamentarians as some of them have visited the Moscow facility and have commented on the inadequacy of the current facilities.”

The memo doesn’t say when the MPs paid their visit, but it outlines details of what they would have seen.

“For example, overcrowding has turned the hallway to the trade section into a storage space for chairs, which does not provide a professional welcome to clients. The lack of adequate space to host Russian counterparts limits the ability of diplomatic staff to build the relationships necessary to further Canadian interests.”

That leaves a lack of space for “surge capacity” to deal with planning special events in Russia, including the recently completed APEC summit in Vladivostok, forthcoming G8 and G20 summits, as well as the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Canada and Russia will enter a crucial phase of their relationship next year when Ottawa assumes a two-year term as chair of the Arctic Council. Among other things, the council will help deal with boundary disputes in the resource-rich Arctic.

Shortly after Baird was appointed to the Foreign Affairs portfolio in May 2011, a memo from his briefing book, released under the Access to Information Act, noted that the 2010 budget set aside $450 million over seven years for the Security Abroad Strategy to bolster security at Canada’s foreign embassies.

Harper in India

By Aaron Wherry - Thursday, November 8, 2012 at 9:12 AM - 0 Comments

The Prime Minister’s speech to the World Economic Forum yesterday.

Erica Alini explains Mr. Harper’s six-day stay in India.

EU drug demands would cost Canadians up to $2B a year: federal research

By Heather Scoffield, The Canadian Press - Sunday, October 14, 2012 at 3:13 PM - 0 Comments

OTTAWA – Confidential federal research on free-trade talks with Europe shows that giving the European Union just one part of what it wants on drug patents would cost Canadians up to $2 billion a year.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade has always insisted it’s a “myth” that the Canada-EU free trade deal would increase health costs.

But in September, officials at Industry Canada and Health Canada combined forces to examine the cost of the European demand to implement a patent-term restoration system, The Canadian Press has learned.

They found that based on past history of approval patterns, the EU proposal would add an average life of 2.66 years to a typical drug patent, and increase Canadian drug costs by between $795 million and $1.95 billion annually.

The range of projections is large because government analysts have no way of knowing exactly what kind of drugs will be in line for patents in the future, and had to make some broad assumptions.

The analysis also looked at the cost of a compromise that would see patent terms extended to cover the time between application for regulatory approval and market authorization.

Such an option would likely add an average of 1.23 years to patents, and cost Canadians between $367 million and $903 million annually.

A third option would just extend patents to cover off any delays beyond Health Canada’s benchmark guidelines. It would extend patent terms by 18 days on average, and cost Canadians between $14.7 million and $36.2 million a year.

Generally, the extra costs stem from patients having to rely on brand-name drugs longer than they do now, rather than turn to cheaper generic drugs that would be available sooner if patents were not extended.

The costs would have to be covered by provincial drug plans, employee insurance plans and individuals who buy drugs.

Ottawa has not yet formally responded to the EU demands on drug patents or announced its position on intellectual property. The EU and its many large brand-name drug producers say Canada’s patent regime is too lax and not up to global standards.

Negotiations on the topic are kicking into high gear this week in Brussels, but given the controversial nature of the talks, negotiators are expected to leave any final decision-making on drug patents to ministers later this fall.

Adam Taylor, a spokesman for Trade Minister Ed Fast, would not comment directly on the bureaucrats’ number-crunching.

“Our government has always sought to strike a balance between promoting innovation and job creation and ensuring that Canadians continue to have access to the affordable drugs they need,” Taylor said in an email, reiterating the government’s standard message on the drug patent regime.

“Our government will only sign an agreement if it is in the best interests of Canadians.”

Still, the fact that federal officials are costing out options for compromise suggests strongly that Ottawa is considering a move — despite vociferous opposition from many provincial governments, the generic drug industry and some health-care advocates.

The Canadian generic drug industry has financed its own research that indicates the EU proposals would cost Canadians about $3 billion a year.

“These specific EU proposals are nothing more than an attempt at a cash grab on the backs of hard-working Canadians,” Jim Keon, president of the Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association, said recently.

“Extending market monopolies for brand-name drugs will not reduce trade barriers. It will, however, increase revenues for European-based drug companies at the expense of Canada’s health-care system. It will also increase trade barriers for Canadian generic pharmaceutical manufacturers.”

Generic drugs typically cost less than half the price of their brand-name equivalents.

Keon’s arguments have the ear of several provinces wrestling with rising health-care costs. They have written the federal government demanding compensation if the trade deal drives up drug costs.

But an equally vocal lobby led by the brand-name companies argues that Canada’s intellectual property regime is not as strong as its competitors, and makes Canada a less attractive place to invest as a result. Brand-name drugs are one of Europe’s top exports to Canada.

“The notion of strengthening intellectual property as a way to drive investment and innovation faces criticism. But history tells us that it works,” Russell Williams, president of Canada’s Research-based Pharmaceutical Companies, said in a speech earlier this year.

He argued that patent-term restoration is fair because it pressures bureaucrats to be more efficient in approving new drugs.

“It simply ensures that if government regulatory and denial processes take longer than agreed, then the patent holder gets credit for the extra delay on the term of their patent.”

Patent-term restoration is just one of three EU demands on Canada in the realm of pharmaceuticals. Europe also wants brand-name companies to have more legal rights of appeal in case of unfavorable approval decisions. The EU also wants to increase data protection standards by two years.

Patent-term restoration is widely considered to be the most important demand of the three.

Canada’s position on intellectual property and drug patents in the European free-trade agreement will serve as the basis of negotiation in broader free trade talks in the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Russian ambassador says navy spy scandal won’t hurt bilateral relations

By Linda Nguyen, The Canadian Press - Friday, October 12, 2012 at 6:29 PM - 0 Comments

TORONTO – Canada is not a security threat to Russia, and recent revelations that a Canadian naval officer acted as a spy for Moscow will not damage the relationship between the two countries, Russia’s ambassador to Canada said Friday.

“With all due respect to Canada, it is not, believe me, the heart of our security concerns,” said Georgiy Mamedov following a lunchtime speech at the Speakers Forum in Toronto.

Mamedov called the recent spy scandal “very marginal” in the scope of Russia’s security priorities, and blamed the incident on the lingering effects of the past.

“So let the routine of the Cold War die away. It will take some time,” he said.

Mamedov, who has been stationed in Ottawa since 2003, said the real threat to both countries was terrorism, not Canada’s military secrets.

On Wednesday, navy Sub-Lt. Jeffrey Paul Delisle pleaded guilty to espionage-related charges and breach of trust for selling classified information to Russia from 2007 to 2012.

Delisle, 41, is the first person to be charged under the Security of Information Act, which was passed following the 9-11 terrorist attacks on the United States.

Delisle joined the Navy in 1996, and at the time of his arrest earlier this year, he had been employed as a threat assessment analyst at Trinity, a highly-secretive military facility in Halifax.

His position there gave him access to intelligence shared by the Five Eyes group — which includes Canada, Great Britain, the United States, New Zealand and Australia.

The Crown alleges that Delisle voluntarily approached the Russian embassy in Ottawa and offered his services.

He was then asked by officials to search his work computer for any reference to Russia, copy the information onto a USB stick and then email it to a foreign handler, the Crown said.

The Russians allegedly paid him $5,000 for the first couple of transfers and then $3,000 every month.

Mamedov said he didn’t want to speak about the Delisle case because it was ongoing.

“I already told you it did not hurt our bilateral relations from our standpoint. If you want to ask your leaders, do that, I can only answer from behalf of my government,” he said, appearing defensive when he was repeatedly asked by reporters to comment on the case.

“Whenever we’re having problems in our bilateral relations…we will overcome them. Nothing dramatic about that,” he said.

During the Cold War, Mamedov was stationed in Washington.

At the time, he said, he was privy to classified documents and “never came across a document with sources in Canada.”

Much of Mamedov’s Friday speech, which was titled “Canada-Russia Partnership,” focused on continuing the two countries’ economic co-operation and furthering their claims on the Arctic.

He complimented Canada’s “fiscally cautious” economic approach and the “high moral qualities” Canadian businesses employ.

Mamedov said there was no reason for Russia to stop purchasing Canadian dollars to plump up their foreign reserves.

“It took…some time to convince central bankers in Moscow that Canada can be a safe haven,” he said. “I don’t see any information that would cause me to suggest something other than buying more Canadian dollars.”

He added that both countries also share many other similarities, including a mutual love for hockey.

Baird condemns deadly Syrian strike on border town in Turkey

By The Canadian Press - Wednesday, October 3, 2012 at 6:41 PM - 0 Comments

OTTAWA – Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird is condemning Syria’s fatal shelling of a Turkish border town that left five civilians dead.

The incident has ratcheted up tensions between the two countries, and sparked an emergency meeting of the political representatives of NATO, of which Turkey is a member.

The blast appeared to come from forces of the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, which is fighting rebels backed by Turkey.

“Canada strongly condemns, in no uncertain terms, this attack by the Assad regime across Syria’s border,” Baird told a brief news conference in the foyer of the House of Commons.

“All countries must bring pressure to bear on Syria for Assad to go.”

Turkish media say a Syrian missile hit a house in the Turkish village of Akcakale, killing five civilians, including children, and wounding a dozen others.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called on Syria to respect the territorial integrity of its neighbour.

“Canada calls for calm and for the Assad regime to stop drawing the region into a self-inflicted conflict and war on the Syrian people,” said Baird.

“The Syrian people deserve better than this illegitimate and murderous regime.”

Baird has criticized the UN Security Council for its inaction on Syria.

‘In an uncertain world’

By Aaron Wherry - Friday, September 28, 2012 at 11:21 AM - 0 Comments

The text of the Prime Minister’s speech last night in New York. Colin Horgan quibbles with Mr. Harper’s understanding of the War of 1812.

“Thank you very much Rabbi Schneier, Chairman Chenevert, Louis; my colleagues Ministers Baird, Kent, Fantino,Ablonczy; Parliamentary Secretary Obhrai; Senator Wallin; Ambassadors Doer and Rishchynski; High Commissioner Campbell; Consul General Prado; my fellow award winners Vikram Pandit and Virginia Rometty; all the honoured guests of our head table and distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen.

“First, I want to begin by thanking Henry Kissinger for that generous introduction.

“I have to say Dr. Kissinger, I am of course aware not only of your immense contributions to your country and international relations, but I have long been an admirer.

“I have to tell you, I have been an admirer indeed since before I was old enough to vote.

“So being able to share the stage with you and to be introduced really does mean a great deal to me.

Continue…

A Memorandum of Understanding for Enhancing Mutual Support at Missions Abroad

By Aaron Wherry - Monday, September 24, 2012 at 8:54 PM - 0 Comments

Here is the official news release on today’s meeting between John Baird and William Hague.

Below, apropos of today’s debate, is the full text of the “Memorandum of Understanding for Enhancing Mutual Support at Missions Abroad.” (I’ve copy-and-pasted from a Word document that was provided.) Continue…

The Commons: Canada moves back in with its parents

By Aaron Wherry - Monday, September 24, 2012 at 5:08 PM - 0 Comments

The Scene. After two general questions about the economy, Thomas Mulcair narrowed in on one particular side effect of the global recession: the trend of adult children compelled by financial concerns to live with their parents.

“Mr. Speaker, this weekend, British government sources leaked the details of a new agreement to create shared British-Canadian embassies in countries around the world. In these countries, Canada would now be represented by a desk at the British embassy instead of an independent Canadian diplomatic mission,” Mr. Mulcair reported for the House’s benefit. “Why did Canadians have to learn about this through the British press? If the Conservatives will not stand up for Canada in the world, why do they expect that the British will do it for us?”

The New Democrats stood to cheer their man’s indignation.

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird stood and kindly asked that everyone move along as there was apparently nothing to see here.

“Mr. Speaker, Canada has a strong and independent foreign policy,” Mr. Baird explained. “What we will be announcing in an hour’s time is that we will be moving forward with a small number of administrative arrangements where we can co-locate.”

(If recent adjective history is any indication, this will almost certainly end in a guilty plea of some sort.)

Mr. Mulcair was unpersuaded. “Under this agreement, Britain would be the de facto face of Canada in the world,” he charged.

There was grumbling from the Conservatives. Continue…

Welcome roomie: Canada to share embassy space with U.K.

By macleans.ca - Monday, September 24, 2012 at 10:04 AM - 0 Comments

On Monday, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird and his British counterpart, Foreign Secretary William Hague are expected to announce that Canada and the United Kingdom will begin sharing space and resources at foreign embassies. The cost-cutting measure, however, is gathering some criticism from those who feel that Canada’s separate foreign policy directions will be overshadowed by the association with the more powerful United Kingdom.

The proposal specifically says that Canada and Britain will “co-locate” only in countries where one of the nations does not have an embassy, a spokesperson for Hague told reporters. Not only will the U.K and Canada share real estate, but sources say the two countries will work together in representing civilians abroad and dealing with emergencies. Sharing space and services in embassies abroad is not new, Canada and Britain already have a number of shared arrangements, and Britain also shares embassy space with Australia.

In the Canadian House of Commons, opposition critics have called the move another attempt to put a colonial, British veneer on Canada’s foreign policy.

Italy will represent Canada’s interests in Tehran after embassy closure

By The Associated Press - Monday, September 17, 2012 at 11:09 AM - 0 Comments

ROME – Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi says Italy will look after Canadian interests in Iran after Canada shut down its embassy there earlier this month.

Terzi said Monday that Canada, Italy’s “important friend and ally,” had requested Rome assume protection of Canadian interests there following the Sept. 7 closure of the embassy in Tehran. Canada also severed diplomatic relations with Iran and ordered Iranian diplomats to leave, branding the Islamic republic as the most significant threat to world peace.

The surprise move reinforced Canada’s close ties with Israel, Tehran’s arch enemy.

Iran called Canada’s embassy closure “hasty and unwise” and said it would react in the near future.

Tehran denies suspicions it is intent on developing nuclear weapons, with Israel especially worried.

Switzerland represents U.S. interests in Iran.

Two Canadian embassies in the Middle East reopen; one stays closed

By The Canadian Press - Sunday, September 16, 2012 at 8:26 PM - 0 Comments

OTTAWA – Two Canadian embassies in the Middle East are set to open again Monday after they were closed on Sunday over security concerns.

A spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird says although the missions in Egypt and Libya are open, the embassy in Sudan will remain closed to ensure the safety of diplomatic staff.

Canada’s caution follows a wave of protests and violence over an anti-Muslim film that has swept across the Middle East and other Muslim countries in recent days.

The obscure, amateurish movie made in the U.S. is called “Innocence of Muslims” and depicts the Prophet Muhammad as a fraud, a womanizer and a pedophile.

On Saturday the U-S State Department ordered the departure of all family members and non-essential personnel on Saturday from posts in Sudan and Tunisia.

Canada indicated Saturday that its missions in Khartoum, Tripoli and Cairo would close for the day Sunday _ the embassy in Tunis normally is closed Sundays.

The Cairo embassy was also closed on Thursday because of angry protests at the nearby American embassy.

The Harper government also shuttered its embassy in Tehran and severed diplomatic ties with Iran earlier this month, in part because it said it was concerned about the safety of Canadian diplomats.

Three Canadian embassies in the Middle East close for one day Sunday

By The Canadian Press - Sunday, September 16, 2012 at 6:10 AM - 0 Comments

OTTAWA – Canada is closing three of its Middle East embassies for the day today because of continued security concerns.

A spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird says the missions in Egypt, Libya and Sudan will not be open to ensure the safety of diplomatic staff.

The U-S State Department ordered the departure of all family members and non-essential personnel on Saturday from posts in Sudan and Tunisia.

It blames the security situation in the capitals of Tunis and Khartoum.

The Canadian mission in Tunis is normally closed on Sunday.

The moves follow a wave of protests and violence over an anti-Muslim film that has swept across the Middle East and other Muslim countries in recent days.

The obscure, amateurish movie made in the U.S. is called “Innocence of Muslims” and depicts the Prophet Muhammad as a fraud, a womanizer and a pedophile.

The Canadian embassy in Cairo also closed on Thursday because of the angry protests at the nearby American embassy.

The normal Egyptian weekend is Friday-Saturday so the Cairo embassy has been closed since.

The Harper government shuttered its embassy in Tehran and severed diplomatic ties with Iran earlier this month, in part because it said it was concerned about the safety of Canadian diplomats.