The federal government has named former Quebec premier Jean Charest as a special envoy to help Canada secure a temporary seat on the United Nations Security Council.
A Global Affairs Canada spokeswoman said Friday that Charest had already visited the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Kuwait in his new role.
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Angela Savard said the former premier met with “high-level representatives” in those countries, “in order to discuss and to make progress on Canada’s priorities.”
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Charest knows the states of the Persian Gulf well, having been named last year as co-chair of the Canada-UAE Business Council, an industry group working to promote commercial ties between the two countries.
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The special envoy job doesn’t come with a salary but Charest is eligible to have his mission-related expenses covered, Savard said.
Charest is close to Canada’s ambassador to the UN, Marc-Andre Blanchard, who is helping to co-ordinate Canadian efforts to win the prized security council seat.
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