Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you. I think that is what we are doing, but maybe we are not doing it as fast as others are. That being said, we may also have been lucky: Those who have signed agreements did so in a context that is changing very rapidly. Before May, we did not know that the situation would deteriorate in the near east and Middle East to the extent it has.

Foreign Affairs committee  It could be very pretentious for me to say that it will be in one month or two months or something, but I'm pretty sure the team is working very hard to have something very soon. We are already a part of the discussion right now. I would like to be able to tell you it will be tomorrow or in one month or three months, but I have confidence in the team working on it because they are very familiar with the requirements.

Foreign Affairs committee  I must say yes. I'm confident we're going to have something very comprehensive for Africa. I don't want to mirror the engagement, or whatever we're doing for the Indo-Pacific. These are two completely different regions, two regions where circumstances are completely different.

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. MP. We have, right now, two dialogues. One is on trade and the second one is on development. We can provide you with the content of these two dialogues we're having with the African Union. The two dialogues are very in line with Agenda 2063 objectives, and we're trying right now to make sure we have clear avenues for action.

Foreign Affairs committee  Oh, thank you. This is one of my favourite topics. Coming from the private sector, coming from outside, I have the privilege to see the expertise inside now. If you had told me six months ago that I could have identified the expertise… I would say that people are very knowledgeable.

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. There's always a place for improvement, but right now if we need experts in finance, we have them. If we need experts in investment, we have them. If we need experts in agriculture, we also have them. In development and humanitarian assistance, have all of this expertise.

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you very much for the question. I agree with you: Yes, we need to focus a little bit, but we're having two dialogues. The last one we did in just one month has a true component for focusing on stuff that's very great for Canada and Africa. The development dialogue we just launched has a component on TVET, which is vocational education.

Foreign Affairs committee  I will start, and I'll leave the floor to Chris on this. You know what? I come from the private sector. My last job was in the private sector. I know the importance of trade, the importance of having pilots and strategic planning. I understand the idea of having a free trade relationship with Africa very well.

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you, Ms. Chatel. I can give you some concrete examples. I have seen Canadian companies propose rechargeable solar panels. I have also seen Canadian companies come in with solutions in agriculture, particularly in connection with fertilizers. Others have come in with nutritional products, such as vitamins, for children.

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you for the question. I'll try to answer this in French to make sure I am—

Foreign Affairs committee  Yes, let me do that. It is important to notice that, right now on the continent, it's not just about the influence. It's about who can bring something different to the table. Yes, things are changing. Things are changing quickly when it comes to the francophonie, the Portuguese-speaking world and the Commonwealth.

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you for your question, Ms. McPherson. We are at all the discussion tables, in particular those in IGAD, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development. We are around the table with our partners from the United States or Great Britain, to strengthen the message of peace. We have experts on the subject of Sudan who are monitoring and supporting the African Union authorities at present.

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Bergeron. I can't answer for Africans. However, I can tell you about how they received Canada's decision to appoint a permanent observer. So that committee members are aware, I would like to point out that only five countries have two representatives in Africa: one who is dedicated to bilateral relations and another who handles relations with the continent, that is, multilateral relations.

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Bergeron. Yes, we participated in consultations. Personally, I was new to my position, so I was consulted about what I knew about these issues. I know that efforts are being made both here and there to complete the process quickly. To be honest, the question at this point is more about whether we are keeping pace with Africa.

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Oliphant, and for your last visit to us. It was very helpful to engage with the African Union. One of my big surprises was the bias that people in the African Union still have toward Canada. They still love us. They need us. They're really enjoying our presence. The brand is still there.