Mr. Speaker, this is not a very reassuring reaction from the government. We all know that the sanctions imposed by the government have damaged our influence in the region. Nevertheless these two countries remain Commonwealth partners and deserve our best diplomatic efforts.
Unfortunately once again the government is choosing to be reactive instead of proactive in this area. It comes after the U.S. has had many high level meetings. Even China has been in the negotiations. Yet Canada has been silent for the past year in an area in which it should have been very active.
What further actions is the government planning to take to bring these two sides together? Do we have any influence left in these Commonwealth countries?