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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">November 17, 2006 <i>(1:30 p.m. EST)</i><br>
No. 136</span></span></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY OBHRAI TO REPRESENT
GOVERNMENT AT SECOND REGIONAL ECONOMIC COOPERATION
CONFERENCE ON AFGHANISTAN</span></span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic
Canada Opportunities Agency, today announced that the Honourable Deepak Obhrai,
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, will represent the
Government during the Second Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on
Afghanistan (RECC), in New Delhi, India, on November 18 and 19, 2006.</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">“Enhanced regional economic cooperation is important not only to Afghanistan’s
progress toward becoming a self-sustaining, prosperous state, but also in promoting
regional stability,” said Minister MacKay. “Canada will continue to play an active role in
empowering Afghans to foster links with their neighbours.”</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">The conference will review the implementation of the December 2005 Kabul
Declaration on Regional Economic Cooperation. Participants will explore ways to
strengthen cooperation in the areas of electricity, transport, trade, investment and
agriculture, while promoting capacity building and focusing on regional projects.</span></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">- 30 -</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">For further information, media representatives may contact:</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Foreign Affairs Media Relations Office<br>
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada<br>
(613) 995-1874<br>
</span></span><a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070221143124/http://www.international.gc.ca/"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="text-decoration: underline">http://www.international.gc.ca</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000"></span></span></span></p>
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