TORONTO, 7 January 2003 — Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham said here on Sunday he may visit Pakistan later this year.
“I am thinking of visiting Pakistan before returning home at the end of my proposed official tour to India this year,” he said while talking to this correspondent at a musical evening organized here by Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
The program was attended by over 2,500 Canadians, including ministers, prominent politicians and parliamentarians at Toronto’s famous Roy Thompson Hall.
Bill Graham said his Indian counterpart had extended him an invitation to visit New Delhi this year when the latter was on an official visit to Canada a couple months ago.
“The schedule for my visit to India is yet to be finalized. But, I hope to go to New Delhi later this year,” he said.
Responding to a question about Pakistan’s returning to Commonwealth, he said: “Canada is no longer a member of the CMAG (Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group), so we cannot do anything about it.”
Pakistan’s membership was suspended after a coup in October 1999. Bill Graham said: “Once democratic institutions are in place there, Pakistan should come back. But that’s up to Pakistan to convince the Commonwealth that democracy has been restored in the country.”
To a question whether war against Iraq could be avoided, the Canadian foreign minister said: “Let us hope that the UN inspectors and the Security Council, which is in charge of this matter, will be able to steer us through this difficult time. One should hope there is no war.”
