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<p><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-size: 14pt">June 3, 2005 <i>(10:10 a.m. EDT)</i><br>
No. 101</span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-size: 14pt">GOVERNMENT OF CANADA LAUNCHES </span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-size: 14pt">TRADE GUIDE FOR MUNICIPALITIES</span></span></p>
<br>
<p>The Government of Canada will officially launch the Web-based <i>International Trade
Agreements and Local Government: A Guide for Canadian Municipalities </i>during the
68th Annual Conference of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), on
Saturday, June 4, in St. John’s, Newfoundland. The guide will help municipalities to
better understand how they can take part in international trade, and will be posted on
International Trade Canada’s Web site at the time of launch. </p>
<br>
<p>“Globalization has allowed communities to play a larger and more important role in
international commerce,” said International Trade Minister Jim Peterson. “It is a crucial
element of business today, and the municipalities that embrace it will reap the many
benefits and opportunities that it provides. This guide is a unique and innovative tool
that will help municipal decision makers to understand how Canada’s international trade
obligations relate to their areas of responsibility,” he added.</p>
<br>
<p>The guide was developed by International Trade Canada at the request of, and in
collaboration with the FCM, as a tool to assist municipalities in understanding Canada’s
international trade obligations. Through a better understanding of trade and
globalization, municipalities will be better equipped to work with the federal government
to bring benefits and opportunities to their communities.</p>
<br>
<p>More than a year in the making, the guide is the result of ongoing and effective
cooperation between the federal and municipal levels of government. This cooperation
is a concrete example of the government’s commitment, as articulated in <i>Canada’s
International Policy Statement, </i>to grounding successful international relationships in a
sustained consultative dialogue with all interested parties. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The guide can be found at <a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070221004200/http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/tna-nac/FCM/module-en.asp"><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="text-decoration: underline"></span></span></a><span style="color: #000000"></span><a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070221004200/http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/tna-nac/fcm/module-en.asp"><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="text-decoration: underline">http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/tna-nac/fcm/module-en.asp</span></span></a><span style="color: #000000">.</span></p>
<br>
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="color: #000000">- 30 -</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000">For further information, media representatives may contact:</span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="color: #000000">Andrea Lanthier</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000">Press Secretary<br>
Office of the Minister of International Trade<br>
(613) 992-7332</span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="color: #000000">Media Relations Office<br>
International Trade Canada<br>
(613) 995-1874<br>
</span><a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070221004200/http://www.international.gc.ca/"><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="text-decoration: underline">http://www.international.gc.ca</span></span></a><span style="color: #000000"></span></p>
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