NEWS RELEASES

June 1, 2005 (2:25 p.m. EDT)
No. 100

PETTIGREW TO ATTEND OAS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew will attend the 35th Annual General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS), which will take place in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from June 5 to 7, 2005.

While in Fort Lauderdale, Minister Pettigrew will engage in discussions with his counterparts on the benefits of democracy, and will participate in a dialogue with members of civil society, including Canadian non-governmental organizations. On the margins of the General Assembly, the Minister will attend a ministerial-level meeting of the Summit Implementation Review Group to discuss the Fourth Summit of the Americas, which will be held in Mar del Plata, Argentina, on November 4 and 5, 2005. He will also hold a number of bilateral meetings, including with foreign ministers from the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) and Central America.

“Canada is a strong supporter of the OAS and the Summit of the Americas process,” said Minister Pettigrew. “The General Assembly will provide us with an excellent opportunity to build consensus among OAS members on hemispheric priorities, and to promote democratic governance and stability in the region.”

The OAS is the primary political forum of the Americas and is composed of 34 active member states. Canada is the second-largest financial contributor to the OAS, where it has played a leading role in the promotion of democratic development, human security, indigenous issues, civil society participation, corporate social responsibility and gender equality. This year marks the 15th anniversary of Canada’s membership in the OAS.

Satellite transmission of the proceedings will be available on the OAS Web site: http://www.oas.org/. For more information on Canada and the OAS, visit the following Web site: http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/latinamerica/oas-en.asp.

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For further information, media representatives may contact:

Sébastien Théberge
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
(613) 995-1851

Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs Canada
(613) 995-1874
http://www.international.gc.ca