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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">June 2, 2006 <i>(3:15 p.m. EDT)</i><br>
No. 60</span></span></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">MINISTER MACKAY TO ATTEND OAS GENERAL ASSEMBLY</span></span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Foreign Affairs Minister and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Peter MacKay today announced that he will attend the Thirty-Sixth Regular Session of
the Organization of American States (OAS) General Assembly, which will take place in
Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic, from June 4 to 6, 2006.</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">“Canada is a strong supporter of the OAS and its efforts to strengthen democracy,
human rights and the rule of law, prevent conflict and support post-conflict
reconciliation,” said Minister MacKay. “The General Assembly provides an important
opportunity to build consensus with other OAS foreign ministers around these
hemispheric priorities and highlight Canada’s leadership on good governance and
development in a knowledge-based society—the key theme of this general assembly.”</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">While in the Dominican Republic, Minister MacKay will also foster hemispheric and
bilateral objectives through a series of bilateral meetings with foreign ministers and the
Secretary General of the OAS, José Miguel Insulza. In addition, Minister MacKay will
participate in a dialogue with members of civil society, including Canadian
non-governmental organizations, and attend a ministerial-level meeting of the Summit
Implementation Review Group to review the outcomes of the Fourth Summit of the
Americas, held in Argentina in November 2005, and consider next steps in the summit
process.</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">The OAS is the primary political forum of the Americas and is composed of 34 active
member states. Canada is the second-largest financial contributor to the OAS, where it
plays a leading role in the promotion of democracy, human rights, the rule of law,
indigenous issues, civil society participation, corporate social responsibility and gender
equality. </span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Satellite transmission of the proceedings will be available on the OAS website:
</span></span><a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070221013032/http://www.oas.org/"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="text-decoration: underline">http://www.oas.org/</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">. For more information on Canada and the OAS, visit the following
website: </span></span></span><a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070221013032/http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/latinamerica/oas-en.asp"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="text-decoration: underline">http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/latinamerica/oas-en.asp</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">. </span></span></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">- 30 -</span></span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">For further information, media representatives may contact:</span></span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">Media Relations Office<br>
Foreign Affairs Canada<br>
(613) 995-1874<br>
</span></span></span><a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070221013032/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></p>
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