Minister Dion to travel to Lebanon to discuss peace, security and stability in Middle East

November 30, 2016 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Stéphane Dion, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that he will visit Lebanon from December 2 to 6, 2016. Minister Dion will be accompanied by a multi-partisan delegation of members of Parliament.

During his visit, Minister Dion will meet with Michel Aoun, Lebanon’s new president, and Saad Hariri, prime minister-designate, as well as with Gebran Bassil, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, and other high-level officials, including members of parliament and religious leaders. Canada’s ongoing support for peace, security and stabilization in Lebanon, Syria and the broader Middle East will be at the heart of these meetings. Lebanon is an important part of Canada’s regional strategy, as announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in February 2016.

Minister Dion will meet with representatives of non-governmental organizations and civil society to exchange views on a variety of issues, including Canada’s assistance to refugees in Lebanon and the region and the protection of vulnerable groups, including women and girls, as well as efforts to support stability and cohesion between Lebanese host communities and Syrian refugees. Minister Dion will also explore the critical role that environmental issues, particularly water scarcity and security, play in exacerbating tensions and efforts to promote cohesion.

Minister Dion will visit two tented settlements for which Canada is providing humanitarian aid to help meet the basic education, food, health, water, shelter and protection needs of Syrian and Palestinian refugees.

While in Lebanon, Minister Dion will visit the Canadian embassy to meet the hard-working team there, ‎something he does on each visit abroad. This visit will have particular significance because the Canadian embassy in Beirut contributed enormously during Operation Syrian Refugees, which delivered on the government’s initial commitment to bring 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada.

Canada and Lebanon have strong and deeply rooted ties, largely because of the significant community of Canadians in Lebanon, the vibrant Lebanese community in Canada and the sustained collaboration of the two countries in supporting international peace and security.

Quotes

Quick facts

• Of the more than 34,000 Syrian refugees Canada resettled since November 2015, more than half came from Lebanon; Canada is seeking to resettle more Syrian refugees from Lebanon and the surrounding region in 2016 and 2017.
• In 2016, Canada allocated $159 million in multi-year humanitarian assistance to Lebanon to help respond to the basic needs of the most vulnerable and strengthen the country’s resilience in dealing with the pressure of hosting over 1.2 million refugees. Canada has also allocated $8.4 million to reinforce security and stabilization in Lebanon.
• Bilateral trade in merchandise between Lebanon and Canada totalled slightly more than $142.1 million in 2015. Canadian exports to Lebanon amounted to $114.1 million, and imports to around $28 million.
• Depending on the time of year, there are approximately 60,000 to 75,000 Canadians in Lebanon; the Lebanese diaspora in Canada is estimated to be 200,000.
• The first woman to head a Canadian diplomatic mission abroad was Elizabeth MacCallum, “envoy extraordinaire” to Lebanon; in 1954 she opened the Canadian Legation in Beirut, inaugurating the countries’ bilateral relations.

Associated links

• Embassy of Canada to Lebanon
• Canada’s response to Middle East crises and violent extremism
• #WelcomeRefugees: Canada resettles Syrian refugees

Contacts

Chantal Gagnon
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
343-203-1851
chantal.gagnon@international.gc.ca

Media Relations Office
Global Affairs Canada
343-203-7700
media@international.gc.ca
Follow us on Twitter: @CanadaFP
Follow Minister Dion on Twitter: @MinCanadaFA
Like us on Facebook: Canada’s foreign policy - Global Affairs Canada