NEWS RELEASES
KILGOUR REITERATES SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRACY AT MINISTERIAL MEETING IN WARSAW
June 27, 2000 (3:15 p.m. EDT) No. 166
KILGOUR REITERATES SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRACY AT MINISTERIAL MEETING IN
WARSAW
Secretary of State (Latin America and Africa) David Kilgour concluded his visit to Warsaw, Poland, where he attended a
ministerial meeting, "Towards a Community of Democracies," on June 26 and 27. The meeting, which included
delegations from 103 countries, provided an opportunity to discuss means to promote and strengthen democracy.
"The wave of democratization that we have witnessed over the past 20 years has been extraordinary," said Kilgour. "For
new and old democracies alike, the challenge remains to foster the conditions in which democracy can grow and be
sustained. Through the Commonwealth, the Organization of American States (OAS), La Francophonie, and the
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Canada shares its democratic experience and is playing an active
role in encouraging democratization."
Kilgour made a presentation to the Working Group "Responding to Threats to Democracy." He reiterated Canada's broad
support for democracy and democratic development, in particular through its contributions to the OAS and the
Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group. At the meeting he underlined the ways in which federalism can support
democracy and conflict management in a complex society and reiterated Canada's support for the work of the International
Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.
In Warsaw, Kilgour participated in the main ministerial meeting hosted by the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs. He also
attended a parallel meeting of the World Forum on Democracy, which featured a panel on federalism and democracy
funded by the Human Security and Peacebuilding Program of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.
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For further information, media representatives may contact:
Tasha Stefanis
Office of the Secretary of State (Latin America and Africa)
(613) 944-2162
Media Relations Office
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
(613) 995-1874
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