Canada’s recent rows with tiny South Asian island nations Sri Lanka and Maldives are part of greater foreign policy stance and branding.
In recent months cabinet colleagues of Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said he was working tirelessly on the Sri Lanka file. It is all part of greater foreign policy statement by the Harper government, “We don’t go along to get along.”
The Sri Lanka Commonwealth boycott was strategic enough to give the Harper government enough publicity abroad and something that was popular with the large Tamil Diaspora in Canada.
Yesterday, Baird slammed the Maldives for delaying the presidential election.
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“Unfortunately, the Supreme Court’s disappointing decision to again delay the runoff undermines both the Maldives’ constitution and the people’s faith in elections”, he said in a statement.
“There are now serious questions surrounding the legitimacy of the interim incumbent government. The international community is watching developments closely. It is critical for this young democracy that authorities do not halt the next runoff on November 16, 2013.”
Baird’s recent face-to-face meeting with Maldivian counterpart was so heated that Prime Minister Harper received a written complaint from Maldives President Mohamed Waheed.
“The president was concerned by an expression and an admission of personal bias by the honourable minister, detriment to our bilateral relationship and contrary to the high esteem to which we hold the Canadian government and people,” a Canadian Press report stated.
Canada’s recent rows with tiny South Asian island nations Sri Lanka and Maldives are part of greater foreign policy stance and branding.
In recent months cabinet colleagues of Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said he was working tirelessly on the Sri Lanka file. It is all part of greater foreign policy statement by the Harper government, “We don’t go along to get along.”
The Sri Lanka Commonwealth boycott was strategic enough to give the Harper government enough publicity abroad and something that was popular with the large Tamil Diaspora in Canada.
Yesterday, Baird slammed the Maldives for delaying the presidential election.
“Unfortunately, the Supreme Court’s disappointing decision to again delay the runoff undermines both the Maldives’ constitution and the people’s faith in elections”, he said in a statement.
“There are now serious questions surrounding the legitimacy of the interim incumbent government. The international community is watching developments closely. It is critical for this young democracy that authorities do not halt the next runoff on November 16, 2013.”
HEATED BAIRD
Baird’s recent face-to-face meeting with Maldivian counterpart was so heated that Prime Minister Harper received a written complaint from Maldives President Mohamed Waheed.
“The president was concerned by an expression and an admission of personal bias by the honourable minister, detriment to our bilateral relationship and contrary to the high esteem to which we hold the Canadian government and people,” a Canadian Press report stated.
