‘Unacceptable’ for Canadian official to have attended Russia Day celebration: Joly

It was “unacceptable” for a Canadian official to have attended Russia Day celebrations at the country’s embassy in Canada, foreign affairs minister Melanie Joly said on Sunday.

A deputy protocol chief in Canada’s global affairs department, Yasemin Heinbecker, attended Friday’s event, along with representatives of Egypt, Pakistan and some African nations, the Globe and Mail newspaper said in a report.

“No Canadian representative should have attended the event hosted at the Russian embassy and no Canadian representative will attend this kind of event again,” Joly said in a Twitter post.

0:54 Joly says Canadian official attending Russia Day celebration should not have happened

Joly also reiterated Canada’s support for Ukraine against Russia’s invasion, which Moscow calls a “special military operation”.

Since the conflict began on Feb. 24, Canada has imposed sanctions on more than 1,000 individuals and bodies with ties to Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

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(Reporting by Nishit Jogi in Bengaluru; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

1:15 NDP criticizes foreign affairs minister over Canadian official attending Russia Day celebration