Myanmar: Canada

Majority Government Dept: Mr. Baird s mission is to gauge commitment to reforms and, if encouraged, to signal Canada will ease sanctions if Myanmar s reforms become entrenched, according to Globe and Mail. Mr. Baird s trek seemed impossible a year ago; events in Myanmar have moved quickly. But Ottawa s willingness to venture into complex diplomacy in far-off places is a change, too and the visit is a symbol of a changing approach in a majority government. The Harper government s foreign policy is moving beyond the short list of countries it cared about in its minority years, like the United States, China, Afghanistan and Israel. And with Mr. Baird, the majority s foreign minister, it s willing to be seen delving into complicated affairs, like those in Myanmar. The interest in Myanmar is, in part, linked to the government s trade-driven ties to Asia and to Southeast Asian nations in the 10-country ASEAN bloc. Myanmar is a member and others in the group have urged Canada to become more active in the region s affairs as Ottawa seeks closer ties. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.