Canada’s Foreign Affairs minister Stéphane Dion has announced that he will make a seven-day visit to Africa for bilateral talks.
Dion will visit Nigeria, Kenya and Ethiopia between 5 to 11 November.
This will be his first visit to Sub-Saharan Africa, and it will highlight the importance that Canada attaches to strengthening bilateral relations with African nations.
While in Nigeria, the Canadian will co-chair the binational commission that will focus on governance and security issues, such as counterterrorism efforts and the humanitarian crisis in the northeast of the country.
In Kenya, he will meet with Kenyan counterparts to discuss issues of shared interest and concern, including the role women play in peace and security and the important contributions Kenya has been making to regional security and peace building.
In Ethiopia, he will deliver the message that more can be done to engage Ethiopians in the democratic process and to encourage the government to undertake real and constructive reforms. The Government of Canada is concerned by the response to recent demonstrations but is cautiously optimistic that developments in the past few days may signal the willingness of the Ethiopian government to make genuine improvements for the benefit of its people.
