Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thanks very much to our witnesses.
Thank you for being available and being here at such a late hour, and for your comments.
I think in his remarks, Mr. Diendéré clearly illustrated the importance of Africa to Canada and the opportunities it offers. Canada still needs to organize its ideas in terms of what it intends to do. Following the publication of Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy there was discussion of an African strategy, which then became a framework and then a policy. When senior government officials testified here, no one really knew what it was. As a result, we have the impression that the government is governing or playing it by ear when it comes to Africa. According to the senior officials at Global Affairs Canada, a broad consultation has been held, in Canada and Africa, to learn more about opportunities for engagement on the continent. That consultation apparently ended on July 31 last year.
My question is very simple. Was the Canadian diplomatic corps in Africa asked to participate in those consultations?