Mr. Chair and Mr. Rae, I think the larger issue here is Canada's relations with the United Arab Emirates. Our relations are robust. They include cooperation in commercial, political, economic, defence, and regional security matters. The UAE is currently Canada's largest merchandise export market in the Middle East and northern Africa region. We exceeded $1.3 billion in 2009, making that Canada's 17th-largest export market. Approximately 125 Canadian companies and organizations have a presence in the UAE. Canadian business councils in the UAE have more than 250 members. More than 27,000 Canadians live and work in the UAE.
I have spoken--Mr. Rae, if you want to listen, please--I have spoken to my counterpart, and we agreed that the bilateral relations should remain strong and shouldn't be put into risk.