Ottawa Refuses to Call for Immediate Change in Egypt

While the U.S. and other allies are signalling Hosni Mubarak must step down, Canada appears to be endorsing a transition plan set forth by his regime.

On Thursday Spain, Germany, France, Britain, and Italy all called for “immediate” change in Egypt, and the White House used even harsher language, with Press Secretary Robert Gibbs saying a transition to democracy should begin now and “now means yesterday.” But Foreign Affair Minister Lawrence Cannon emphasized stability over speed, and said he believed Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman was making concrete steps towards a transition to democracy. His comments are being seen as a clear policy break with Canada’s allies, and evidence that Ottawa’s primary concern is that any post-Mubarak Egyptian government honours existing peace accords with Israel. Ties between Israel and Canada have been significantly strengthened since the Conservatives took office in 2006.