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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">October 6, 2007 <i>(9:00 a.m. EDT)</i><br>
No. 138</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">CANADA CONDEMNS IRANIAN PRESIDENT’S DENIAL OF THE
HOLOCAUST</span></span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">The Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today made the following
statement regarding Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s latest comments about
Israel:</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">“On behalf of all Canadians, I vigorously condemn the remarks made by Iran’s
President. This is another in a long line of outrageous comments about Israel by
President Ahmadinejad. Canada has always defended Israel’s right to exist in peace,
and we will continue to speak out against such threatening language. </span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">“President Ahmadinejad’s statement represents a wilful distortion of history and an
attempt to prevent political reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians.</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">“It is comments like these that make Iran a country of concern for the international
community. Canada continues to work to focus attention on the Iranian government’s
atrocious human rights record. To that end, Canada will once again be leading a
resolution on Iran at the UN this autumn.”</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/20071116100329/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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