Canada has no plans to open embassies in Venezuela and Iran, Anand says

Canada currently has no plans to open an embassy in either Iran or Venezuela, Foreign Minister Anita Anand said a day after Prime Minister Mark Carney said a lack of diplomatic engagement with certain countries puts Canada at a “disadvantage.”

“We do not have plans to open an embassy in Iran or Venezuela at the current time,” Anand said.

While Ottawa is not looking to re-establish diplomatic relations with Iran, Carney said the lack of diplomatic presence puts Canada “at a disadvantage.”

“Engagement is not endorsement. Having an embassy, having consular services in a country does not mean we endorse the policies of that country,” Carney told reporters Thursday.

Commenting on the deadly earthquakes in Venezuela during a Thursday press conference, Carney said not having diplomats on the ground in Caracas makes it hard for Ottawa to offer help to Canadians.

The Canadian government is working with its staff in neighbouring Colombia to assist Canadians in Venezuela, Anand said.

“In terms of Venezuela, we are working with our mission in Bogota, Colombia, to ensure that the approximately 800 Canadians who are registered there have the support that they need,” she said.

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While there were no plans to open an embassy in Iran or Venezuela, Anand said Ottawa was “always looking for ways in which we can serve Canadians.”

“We do want to always support Canadians in either of those jurisdictions or anywhere else in the world to the very best of our ability. And that requires us to have consular officials who can have the opportunity to offer that support,” she said.

Canada is looking to deepen economic, energy and defence ties with Turkey, Anand said on Friday.

Canada and Turkey have agreed to strengthen their strategic partnership based on four pillars, Anand said at a joint press conference with her Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan in Ottawa on Friday.

“First, on trade and investment, we are advancing our economic relationship, including work towards a future Canada-Turkey free trade agreement,” Anand said, adding that two-way trade had already reached $4.3 billion last year and was on an “upward trajectory.”

Ottawa and Ankara are also exploring opportunities to deepen tourism and people-to-people ties, she added.

“Turkish Airlines will add additional weekly flights to Toronto and Montreal this summer, while Air Transat will launch direct flights between Montreal and Istanbul this fall,” she said.

The second “pillar” of the strategic partnership is energy and critical minerals, Anand said, adding that she and Fidan visited the nuclear generation plant in Darlington, Ont., on Thursday.

On Friday, she delivered a letter from Energy Minister Tim Hodgson to Turkish ministers expressing “Canada’s interest in expanding nuclear cooperation with Turkey.”

“Canada is a global leader in nuclear technology, and we see significant opportunities to work together to advance not only energy security but also economic growth and clean energy development,” Anand said.

Turkey and Canada are also looking to grow their defence and security relationship as members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

“Turkey is a valued NATO ally. This remains true today and will going forward,” she said, adding that Turkey is hosting the upcoming NATO summit in August.

— with files from The Canadian Press