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<title>AXWORTHY TO TRAVEL TO EUROPE FOR YOUTH, NATO AND G-8 EVENTS</title>
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<p><font face="Arial"></font><font face="Arial" size="+1"></font><font face="Arial" size="+1">December 9, 1999 <em>(3:30 p.m. EST)</em> No. 266</font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font face="Arial" size="+1">AXWORTHY TO TRAVEL TO EUROPE FOR YOUTH, NATO AND G-8
EVENTS</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial"></font><font face="Arial">Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy today announced that he will travel to Europe to
participate in an educational event and two multilateral meetings. His first stop will be
London on December 14. The Minister will then proceed to Brussels for the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Foreign Ministers Meeting on December 15 and16.
In Berlin, his last stop, he will attend the Group of Eight (G-8) Ministerial Conference on
Conflict Prevention on December 16 and17. </font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">In London, Minister Axworthy will meet with Robin Cook, the Secretary of State for
Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. Both Ministers will then officially launch Youth
Links, a new Web-based learning tool on international issues that will link designated
high school students in Canada with their counterparts in Europe. Mr. Axworthy will also
participate in a roundtable with members of the Association of Foreign Affairs
Correspondents and deliver an address to the Royal United Services Institute.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Minister Axworthy will then proceed to Brussels. On December 15, he will sign a Joint
Declaration on the Strengthening of the Bilateral relations between Canada and
Belgium with his Belgian counterpart, Louis Michel. He will also attend the first NATO
Foreign Ministers meeting since last June, when the NATO-led Kosovo peacekeeping
force (KFOR) first deployed to Kosovo. The NATO foreign ministers' agenda includes a
review of the situation in Kosovo and Bosnia; follow-up on Washington Summit
initiatives -- including those concerning weapons of mass destruction, non-proliferation,
arms control and disarmament; and the development of the European Security and
Defence Identity. </font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">"This meeting provides the opportunity to ensure concrete follow-up to the Washington
Summit, particularly in areas in which Canada has a strong interest and concern, such
as the situation in the Balkans and arms control and disarmament," said
Minister Axworthy.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">The G-8 Ministerial Conference will build on discussions on conflict prevention held at
the G-8 Summit in Cologne last June. Ministers will examine several issues which are
integral to Canada's human security agenda and its work at the UN Security Council in
the area of protection of civilians in armed conflict. These include small arms, child
soldiers, civilian police capacity, and the impact on war economies of the illicit trade in
high value commodities such as diamonds.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">"I am very pleased that the last time the G-8 Foreign Ministers met, my colleagues were
very supportive of integrating Canada's human security priorities in our work. I intend to
build on this momentum in Berlin, particularly in light of the fact that conflict prevention
is a key element of the human security agenda," added Mr. Axworthy.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">During the trip, Minister Axworthy will also engage in a number of meetings with his
counterparts in which he will raise other issues of international concern, including
Chechnya.</font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font face="Arial">- 30 -</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">For further information, media representatives may contact:</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Debora Brown</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">(613) 995-1851</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Media Relations Office</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">(613) 995-1874</font></p>
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