April 7, 2005 (6:10 p.m. EDT)
No. 63

CANADA HAILS THE PRETORIA ACCORD ON CÔTE D'IVOIRE

Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew today issued the following statement after a peace agreement was reached in Pretoria, South Africa, between the main parties to the conflict in Côte d'Ivoire:

"Canada is very pleased about the agreement reached in Pretoria on April 6 between the parties to the conflict, and hopes that the agreement marks a lasting resumption of the peace process in Côte d'Ivoire, which has been stalled for too long. We urge all parties to fully implement this agreement and honour the commitments of the previous Linas-Marcoussis and Accra accords.

"We commend South African President Thabo Mbeki, the African Union mediator in the Ivorian crisis, for his personal involvement in the Pretoria discussions."

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