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<title>GRAHAM TO VISIT AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN</title>
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<p><font size="+1"></font><font size="+1"><strong>August 29, 2003 <em>(12:00 p.m. EDT)</em> No. 121</strong></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font size="+1"><strong>GRAHAM TO VISIT AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN</strong></font></p>
<p>Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham today announced that he will visit Afghanistan and Pakistan on September 5 and 6,
2003.</p>
<p>"Canada is participating actively in efforts to rebuild Afghanistan and improve the quality of life of its citizens," said
Minister Graham. "I look forward to seeing first-hand the important work Canadians are undertaking in the areas of
defence, development and diplomacy."</p>
<p>In Kabul, Minister Graham will meet with President Hamid Karzai and the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative
for Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, to discuss Canada's multidimensional support and a broad range of local and regional
security issues. He will tour Camp Julien to visit with some of the 2,100 Canadian Forces personnel supporting the
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), and will receive briefings from Canadians Major-General Andrew Leslie,
Deputy Commander of ISAF, and Brigadier-General Peter Devlin, Commander of the Kabul Multi-National Brigade.
ISAF's mission is to help maintain security in Kabul and the surrounding areas so that the Afghanistan Transitional
Administration and UN agencies can function. Finally, Minister Graham will participate in a ceremony marking the
opening of the new Canadian embassy in Afghanistan and visit the Institute for Media Policy and Civil Society or
IMPACS, a CIDA-supported organization that is working to establish independent women's community radio stations
throughout Afghanistan.</p>
<p>In addition to its military contribution in Afghanistan, Canada will contribute $250 million toward reconstruction and
humanitarian assistance in 2003 and 2004. On August 6, 2003, Canada's new embassy in Kabul became operational,
following the appointment of Christopher Alexander as Ambassador designate.</p>
<p>In Islamabad, Pakistan, Minister Graham will meet with President Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan
Jamali and Foreign Affairs Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri to discuss how best to advance the bilateral relationship.
They will also discuss key regional security issues. Mr. Graham will also meet with local NGOs and members of civil
society.</p>
<p>"In Islamabad, I hope to build on the strong bilateral ties that Canada enjoys with Pakistan, including expanding our
commercial relations," said Mr. Graham. "I also look forward to exchanging views on security issues, including the
important roles both countries are playing in the ongoing international campaign against terrorism."</p>
<p align="CENTER">- 30 -</p>
<p>For further information, media representatives may contact:</p>
<p>Isabelle Savard</p>
<p>Director of Communications</p>
<p>Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs</p>
<p>(613) 995-1851</p>
<p>Media Relations Office</p>
<p>Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade</p>
<p>(613) 995-1874</p>
<p><a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070220191657/http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/">http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca</a></p>
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