Peter MacKay in U.S. capital meeting with Chuck Hagel, John McCain
By Lee-Anne Goodman, The Canadian Press, From Montreal Gazette
WASHINGTON – Defence Minister Peter MacKay was in the U.S. capital on Tuesday to meet with his American counterpart, Chuck Hagel, and bestow an honorary doctorate upon Sen. John McCain.
In their first meeting since Hagel was named defence secretary, the former Republican senator and MacKay were scheduled to sign the Caribbean Defence Co-operation Framework, an agreement aimed at guiding Canada-U.S. development efforts in Caribbean countries.
They were also expected to discuss NORAD and the reorganization of NATO.
At the Canadian Embassy, MacKay was slated to present McCain, the Arizona lawmaker who ran for president against Barack Obama in 2008, with an honorary doctorate of military science from the Royal Military College of Canada.
McCain is being recognized for his “dedication to our countries’ bilateral relationship and to his extensive work in promoting international security,” MacKay’s office said in a release.
For the past two years, McCain has been a vocal proponent of U.S. military intervention in Syria. Last week, President Barack Obama said the U.S. would begin sending small arms to the Syrian rebels.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper, meantime, recently ruled out any Canadian initiatives to arm the rebels in their bloody conflict with President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Instead, Canada is focusing on humanitarian aid.
MacKay started his day by delivering the keynote address to a meeting of the Inter-American Defense Board, an international organization devoted to defence and security issues, and the Organization of American States.
The institutions “are places where the members of our ‘familia Americana’ come together to not only show their good faith, but to demonstrate their commitment to building trust and peace in our hemisphere,” MacKay said.
“There is no question that, thanks to the fundamental democratic transformation of the hemisphere, the assiduous and courageous efforts of so many governments in the region, and the support of partners like Canada, the Americas are a much more secure and safe place for its people.”
He noted that last year, two-way trade between Canada and the region amounted to about $56 billion dollars – a 32 per cent increase since 2007 – thanks “in no small part” to the seven free trade agreements Canada signed with countries from Mexico to Chile.
But he added that the region is still confronting various problems that necessitate a unilateral response.
“Challenges like drug trafficking, trans-national criminal organizations and natural disasters affect us all,” he said.
“These threats are complex and they don’t respect borders. So no matter what their causes or sources may be, the fact of the matter is that they affect all of us, in every corner of the Americas – including Canada. They require co-operative responses.”
PHOTO: Minister of Defence Peter MacKay responds to a question during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on June 12, 2013. Defence Minister Peter MacKay is in the U.S. capital today meeting with his American counterpart, Chuck Hagel, and bestowing an honorary doctorate upon Sen. John McCain. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
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