<html>
<head>
<meta name="generator" content="Corel WordPerfect 12">
<meta http-equiv="content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
<style>
p
{
margin-top: 0px;
margin-bottom: 1px
}
body
{
font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;
font-size: 12pt;
font-weight: normal;
font-style: normal
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">October 2, 2006 <i>(7:30 a.m. EDT)</i><br>
No. 113</span></span></span></p>
<br>
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">DIPLOMATIC APPOINTMENT</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, today announced the following diplomatic appointment:</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">Gilbert Laurin</span> becomes Ambassador and Permanent Delegate to the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, in Paris. </span></span></p>
<br>
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">- 30 -</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">A biographical note is attached.</span></span></p>
<br>
<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/20070221015421/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>
<br>
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE</span></span></span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-weight: bold">Gilbert Laurin</span> (BA Honours, University of Manitoba, 1967; LLB, Osgoode Hall Law
School, 1975) joined the Canada Employment and Immigration Commission in 1980
and served abroad in Marseille, Paris and Damascus. From 1992 to 1994, he worked
with the Senior Appointments Secretariat at the Privy Council Office, then moved to the
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, where he initially served in the
Legal Operations Division. He served in Rome from 1997 to 2001, then was assigned to
Canada’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, in New York, as
Minister-Counsellor. He is currently Ambassador and Deputy Permanent
Representative to the United Nations. He is married to Maureen Girvan. Gilbert Laurin
succeeds Yvon Charbonneau.</span></span></span></p>
</body>
</html>
