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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">December 7, 2004 <i>(4:40 p.m. EST)</i> No. 148</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 PETTIGREW TO ATTEND NATO MEETING IN BELGIUM
AND FORUM FOR THE FUTURE IN MOROCCO</span></span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew will be at a meeting of North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) foreign ministers from December 8 to 9 in Brussels, Belgium,
followed by the Forum for the Future, part of the G8 partnership with the Broader
Middle East and North Africa, on December 11 in Rabat, Morocco.</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">NATO discussions will take place in a ministerial session of the North Atlantic Council
(NAC), NATO’s primary permanent decision-making body. The foreign ministers will
cover political developments and ongoing security initiatives required in Iraq,
Afghanistan, the Balkans and Ukraine. The NAC meeting will be followed by meetings
of the NATO-Russia Council, the NATO-Ukraine Commission and Foreign Ministers of
the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council. They will also discuss NATO-EU relations, and
will mark the 10th anniversary of the NATO Mediterranean Dialogue.</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Minister Pettigrew will then travel to Rabat, Morocco, for the first meeting of the Forum
for the Future. The Forum is a key element of the G8's Partnership with the countries of
the Broader Middle East and North Africa, launched at the Sea Island Summit in
June 2004. This partnership seeks to promote political, economic and social
modernization and development in countries of the region through G8 financing and
other forms of assistance.</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">This will be an opportunity to reiterate Canadian support for the regional processes of
reform and modernization; to highlight the work Canada is doing in this respect; and to
continue discussions with regional participants on how Canada can work with them to
achieve their objectives.</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>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">For further information, media representatives may contact:</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Sébastien Théberge<br>
Director of Communications<br>
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs<br>
(613) 995-1851</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Media Relations Office<br>
Foreign Affairs Canada and
International Trade Canada<br>
(613) 995-1874<br>
</span></span><a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20071123091520/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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