<html>
<head>
<meta name="generator" content="Corel WordPerfect 10">
<meta http-equiv="content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
<style>
p
{
margin-top: 0px;
margin-bottom: 1px
}
body
{
font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;
font-size: 12pt;
font-weight: normal;
font-style: normal
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<p><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt">April 20, 2005 <i>(11:50 a.m. EDT)</i><br>
No. 70</span></span></span></p>
<br>
<br>
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">STATEMENT BY MINISTER PETTIGREW WELCOMING </span></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">NEW LEBANESE CABINET</span></span></span></p>
<br>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew today issued the following statement:</span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">“Canada applauds the selection of a cabinet by Prime Minister Najib Mikati. This is an
important step toward encouraging a stable and productive environment in Lebanon.</span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">“Canada has recently called for broad-based dialogue among all parties in Lebanon to
continue the trend toward a more independent democracy, free from outside influences.
The 14 members of the cabinet represent a wide cross-section of Lebanese political
thought, and Canadians look forward to the fulfilment of the cabinet’s mandate through
parliamentary elections due before the end of May. </span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">“A peaceful and prosperous Lebanon is critical for the Middle East. Canada encourages
progress toward a more open and transparent democracy.”</span></p>
<br>
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">- 30 -</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">For further information, media representatives may contact:</span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">Sébastien Théberge<br>
Director of Communications<br>
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs<br>
(613) 995-1851</span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif">Media Relations Office<br>
Foreign Affairs Canada<br>
(613) 995-1874<br>
</span><a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070221024346/http://www.international.gc.ca/"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="text-decoration: underline">http://www.international.gc.ca</span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="color: #000000"></span></span></p>
<br>
</body>
</html>
