Mr. Speaker, the situation in Togo is indeed a cause of great concern. A few days ago, I met personally with Togo's ambassador to Ottawa, and on Wednesday, the Francophonie, in the form of the Conseil permanent de la Francophonie, met in Paris. The “sherpa” for Canada was in attendance, and a decision was reached by the council to suspend Togo from participation in Francophonie events and to suspend all aid to Togo from the international Francophonie until the situation is remedied. We are urging Togo to respect its own constitution and to hold the free and democratic elections it requires.
In the House of Commons on February 11th, 2005. See this statement in context.