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<title>AXWORTHY AND KILGOUR TO ATTEND COMMONWEALTH MINISTERIAL ACTION GROUP MEETING</title>
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<p><font face="Courier"></font><font face="Univers" size="+2"></font><font face="Univers" size="+2">October 8, 1998 <em> (1:45 p.m. EDT)</em> No. 238</font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font face="Univers" size="+2">AXWORTHY AND KILGOUR TO ATTEND COMMONWEALTH
MINISTERIAL ACTION GROUP MEETING</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier"></font><font face="Courier">Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy will attend the Commonwealth Ministerial
Action Group (CMAG) meeting in London, England, on October 9, with Secretary of
State (Latin America and Africa) David Kilgour attending on October 8 and 9. </font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">This will be the first CMAG meeting since the decision of Nigeria's Head of State,
General Abdulsalam Abubakar, to free political prisoners and commit his government
to free elections in 1999. Nigeria's Foreign Minister, Ignatius Olisemeka, will
participate in a special session on October 9 to discuss Nigeria's current
transition plan with CMAG members. CMAG members will also review recent
developments in Sierra Leone and The Gambia.</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">"Canada is greatly encouraged by the progress made under Nigeria's program for
transition to democracy and economic reform," said Mr. Axworthy. "We also welcome
the presence of Nigeria's Foreign Minister, which further attests to Nigeria's
commitment to change." </font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Last August, Canada decided to implement the following bilateral activities in
response to Nigeria's constructive movement toward democracy: the re-establishment
of a Canadian diplomatic presence in Nigeria; financial and technical aid in
support of Nigeria's transition to democracy; and a visit to Nigeria in early
September by Secretary of State Kilgour.</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">"The mission to Nigeria enabled me to review and discuss current developments with
the new Nigerian government as well as with a broad cross-section of Nigerian
society," said Mr. Kilgour. "Furthermore, I was able to see for myself the
positive impact of the changes in Nigeria."</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">The decision to suspend Nigeria's full membership in the Commonwealth was made at
the 1995 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), held in New Zealand.
The decision followed two separate occasions on which Nigeria's military-led
government disregarded basic principles of democracy: the abrogation of the
results of the 1993 presidential election and the execution of Nobel Laureate Ken
Saro-Wiwa, which was carried out during the 1995 CHOGM.</font><font face="Courier"></font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">CMAG was created in 1995, following the events in Nigeria, with a mandate to
recommend collective Commonwealth responses to serious or persistent violations of
the principles contained in the Commonwealth's Harare Declaration on human rights
and democracy. CMAG consists of the eight member countries of Barbados, Botswana,
Canada, Ghana, Malaysia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe.</font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font face="Courier">- 30 -</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">For further information, media representatives may contact:</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Debora Brown</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">(613) 995-1851</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Sara Mohsin</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Office of the Secretary of State (Latin America and Africa)</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">(613) 992-9404</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Media Relations Office</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">(613) 995-1874</font></p>
<p><font face="Courier">This document is also available on the Department's Internet site:
http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca</font></p>
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