November 18, 1998 (4:30 p.m. EST) No. 264

AXWORTHY TABLES ANNUAL REPORT ON

EXPORTS OF CANADIAN MILITARY GOODS

Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy today tabled in Parliament the 1997 edition of Exports of Military Goods from Canada.

The 1997 edition of the report follows the format of the 1996 report, which set a new standard of transparency. The report provides more detail about the types of goods being exported while protecting sensitive commercial information on specific transactions in a highly competitive market.

"Canada is working actively to promote greater transparency in the trade and control of conventional military weapons," said Mr. Axworthy. "Canadian efforts are part of a much larger and constantly evolving international co-operative effort. Canada works with other countries to ensure that the interests of legitimate users are taken into account in decisions affecting the export of military goods."

In 1997, over 70 percent of Canada's military goods exports went to fellow NATO countries and other countries linked by formal government-to-government defence agreements. Less than 1 percent of Canada's controlled military goods exports went to low-income countries, and these often consisted of replacement parts for older Canadian-built radios and transport aircraft.

In addition, Minister Axworthy is launching a new brochure called Answers to Questions about Canada's Export Controls on Military Goods. The brochure is designed to explain Canada's policies relating to the export of military goods and technology, as well as how these policies operate. It outlines the trade in military goods and international agreements that form the basis for the control of these exports. In particular, the brochure describes the procedures that Canada uses to ensure appropriate export decisions and to prevent the illegal export of firearms.

Copies of the annual report and the brochure are available from the InfoCentre of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) at 1-800-267-8376.

These documents are also available on the DFAIT Export and Import Controls Web page (http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/~eicb/export/Military97/mil97front-e.htm).

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For further information, media representatives may contact:

Debora Brown

Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs

(613) 995-1851

Media Relations Office

Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

(613) 995-1874

This document is also available on the Department's Internet site: http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca