TORONTO, Sept 21: Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan has stressed the need for “more strategic and fully developed relationship between Ottawa and Islamabad”, describing her recent visit to Pakistan as very useful.
“My trip to Pakistan was very useful. It provided me an opportunity to establish high-level contact with government of Pakistan,” she said while addressing a news conference here on Wednesday.
“My visit (to Pakistan) and my colleague Wajid A. Khan were part and parcel of attempting to accelerate the development of that relationship between the two countries,” said Ms McLellan, who is also minister for public safety and emergency preparedness.
Mr Wajid, a Canadian of Pakistani origin and a member of parliament, had accompanied the deputy prime minister during her visit to Islamabad last week.
In reply to a question about Pakistan and Israel’s contact on foreign minister level, she said: “Dialogues are always good for everyone. Any dialogue between those, who were not talking to each other before, is a good change.”
“What I have read in newspapers and what I understand is that Islamabad wants that Palestine issue must be resolved before Pakistan could take up trade matters with Israel.”
The deputy prime minister also welcomed Pakistan’s ongoing dialogue with India to resolve Kashmir issue. “Canada wants that Kashmir issue is resolved quickly and peacefully and that’s in everybody best interest.”
