Abu Dhabi – Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced that she will be travelling to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from October 22 to 24 to meet with counterparts and advance Canada-UAE bilateral relations. She will also travel to Armenia from October 25 to 27 to deepen Canada-Armenia bilateral ties.
While in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Minister Joly will meet with her counterpart His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the UAE, to advance the bilateral relationship and discuss regional and global security issues, including the situation in Israel, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. She will participate in the Canada-UAE Joint Committee for Cooperation Ministerial Meeting and engage with the Canadian business community in the UAE. She will also meet with Dr. Anwar Gargash, Senior Diplomatic Advisor to the UAE President.
While in Yerevan, Armenia, Minister Joly will discuss means to strengthen bilateral relations between Canada and Armenia with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, the Armenian Prime Minister and the President of the Republic of Armenia. She will officially open the new Embassy of Canada, which will allow for stronger bilateral ties and increased Canadian support to Armenian democracy. Minister Joly will also explore ways to address the urgent needs of the thousands of civilians who are displaced due to the recent military operation of Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. She will also visit the Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex in honour of the 1.5 million lives that were lost during the Armenian genocide of 1915 and reaffirm Canada’s commitment to fighting any form of denial or revisionism.
“The UAE is a key partner and friend to Canada. We share many priorities, including in the areas of trade and global and regional security. I look forward to my first visit to Abu Dhabi and to exploring how we can strengthen our bilateral ties. Armenia is also an important partner of Canada in the Caucasus region, and we will continue to work with Armenian officials to advocate for a full humanitarian access and ensure the respect of human rights in the region.”- Melanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs