Definitely. That's an example of substantive equality as well. This is a recognition that French is vulnerable and that something is lacking. This has been documented, and not just by journalists. At one point, a foreign affairs committee showed that there weren't enough francophones in Canadian diplomacy.
In the current geopolitical relations context, the Government of Canada's diplomatic action is essential, and it must be conducted in both official languages. The government can't conduct international relations in English alone. It must also conduct diplomatic relations in French and be more present in the international francophonie. The government also needs to work on scientific diplomacy. Perhaps they simply forgot to put it in the regulations, but I doubt it, since a lot of things are in there. We can't afford not to include it.