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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">October 14, 2006 <i>(12:30 p.m. EDT)</i><br>
No. 120</span></span></span></p>
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<br>
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">CANADA CONGRATULATES MUHAMMAD YUNUS AND THE
GRAMEEN BANK ON WINNING THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE </span></span></span></p>
<br>
<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, and the Honourable Josée Verner, Minister of
International Cooperation and Minister for La Francophonie and Official
Languages, today congratulated Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank on
receiving the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize. </span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">“Canada echoes the sentiment of many countries in hoping that the awarding of the
Peace Prize to Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank will help further world
peace through economic prosperity,” said Minister MacKay. “Microfinance is a key
component of Canada’s international efforts to help bring peace.”</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">“We are proud of the important work of Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank
in lifting millions of poor Bangladeshi women out of poverty,” said Minister Verner.
“It is an example, emulated now across the Third World, of how microfinance can
make a real difference to the lives of the economically and socially disadvantaged.”</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Canada will host the Global Microcredit Summit 2006 from November 12 to 15 in
Halifax, Nova Scotia. This summit will offer the opportunity for microfinance
practitioners, advocates, donors, and others committed to the Summit’s goals to
assess progress, discuss challenges to achieving the new goals for 2015, and
identify strategies for overcoming those challenges. </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>
<br>
<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/20070221012341/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></span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">Pascale St-Pierre<br>
Press Secretary<br>
Office of the Minister of International Cooperation<br>
819-953-6238</span></span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">Media Relations Office<br>
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)<br>
819-953-6534<br>
info@acdi-cida.gc.ca</span></span></span></p>
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