Parliamentary Secretary Oliphant concludes trip to North Africa

May 12, 2022 – Rabat, Morocco - Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Rob Oliphant, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, today concluded a productive trip to Egypt and Morocco aimed at cultivating Canada’s bilateral relationships and advancing shared priorities, including human rights.

In Cairo, Egypt, Parliamentary Secretary Oliphant met with regional partners and senior Egyptian officials to reiterate Canada’s commitment to supporting peace and stability in the region. He congratulated Egypt for hosting the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference in November 2022 and highlighted Canada’s efforts towards addressing the impacts of climate change in Africa. He also discussed opportunities to strengthen bilateral ties with Egypt, including through increased collaboration on trade, as well as on women and youth empowerment.

At the ministerial meeting of the Global Coalition against Daesh held in Marrakesh, Morocco, Parliamentary Secretary Oliphant announced, on behalf of the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, $46.5 million in funding for 15 projects to enhance security and stabilization in the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia. This support will build on Canada’s and the Global Coalition’s ongoing efforts to bolster peace and security in those regions.   

While in Marrakesh and Rabat, Parliamentary Secretary Oliphant held a number of bilateral meetings with senior Moroccan officials, parliamentarians, as well as with senior officials from multiple partner countries, to discuss shared priorities including trade, feminist foreign policy and security challenges in Africa. He also visited a CARE project supported by Canada to hear directly from the women working to alleviate poverty in their communities through better access to training, financial capital and markets.

The Parliamentary Secretary concluded his visit to Morocco by commemorating the 60th anniversary of Canada-Morocco bilateral relations, noting the strong collaboration and people-to-people ties between our two countries.