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NEWS RELEASES

June 16, 2003 (9:05 a.m. EDT) No. 86

VISIT TO CANADA OF SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF LA FRANCOPHONIE

Denis Paradis, Secretary of State for Latin America, Africa and La Francophonie, announced today that the Secretary-General of the International Organization of La Francophonie, Abdou Diouf, will make his first official visit to Canada from June 17 to 26, 2003.

"I am very pleased to have this chance to strengthen Canada's role within the international Francophonie," said Secretary of State Paradis. "Mr. Diouf's visit will also provide an opportunity to share with him Canada's vision on the major issues that we are championing in La Francophonie, such as democracy, human rights, cultural diversity and access to information technologies, as well as to promote the New Partnership for Africa's Development and the G8 Africa Action Plan within the framework of La Francophonie."

In Ottawa, the Secretary-General of La Francophonie will hold discussions with Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, Secretary of State Paradis, International Cooperation Minister Susan Whelan, Canadian Heritage Minister Sheila Copps and various other Canadian government officials. On June 19, Mr. Diouf will deliver an address at the third conference of the Association des cours constitutionnelles ayant en partage le français [association of constitutional courts using French as a common language], which will be chaired by the Chief Justice of Canada Beverley McLachlin. On June 20, he will be in Montreal for a round table on democracy, rights and freedoms in the French-speaking world. Mr. Diouf will then visit New Brunswick and Quebec, where he will be the guest of the provincial governments.

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