Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird: Canada

Canada Dept: Canada wants to expand its engagement with a country that's become a pivotal force in a troubled region, and doing so requires a Canadian presence in Baghdad, Baird said in a statement, according to Calgary Herald. The new diplomatic office will be an offshoot of Canada's embassy in Amman, Jordan, and will operate out of the British embassy in Baghdad, Baird said. Canada has not had an ambassador formally accredited to Iraq since 1991, although the embassy in Jordan was tapped to assume responsibility for Iraq in 2005 and BAGHDAD - Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird paid an unannounced visit to Iraq today, where he opened a new Canadian diplomatic mission. "With conflict raging in neighbouring Syria, with the ayatollah's regime relentlessly pursuing sectarian hegemony and nuclear ambitions, and with a NATO ally and economic partner bordering Iraq's north, today's opening here in Baghdad expresses Canada's intention to expand our engagement with a key regional player." (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.