17161
17692

Canada

Canada boycotts Ahmadinejad

by The Canadian Press - Story: 76841
Jun 20, 2012 / 9:00 pm

Canada's delegation at the United Nations environmental summit in Brazil walked out of the room today during Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's address.

A spokesman for Environment Minister Peter Kent, who leads the delegation, says the walkout sent a strong signal to Iran, and to the world that Canada will not tolerate Iran's radical and dangerous rhetoric.

Adam Sweet says the Canadian government will not take lessons from the Ahmadinejad regime, "who continue to pose the most significant threats to global peace and security today."

Thousands of Jews, gays and human rights activists marched in Rio de Janeiro earlier this week to protest Ahmadinejad's presence at the UN conference.

Delegations from other countries, including the United States, Israel, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the European Union also boycotted Ahmadinejad's speech.

The UN conference, dubbed "Rio+20", brings together delegations from 193 countries to discuss sustainable development issues, such as protections for oceans, helping poor nations use renewable energy and protecting forests.

The Canadian Press
How does this story make you feel? (222 total votes)
Castanet MoodMeter
Indifferent
5.9%
Happy
70.7%
Disappointed
13.5%
Inspired
2.3%
Informed
6.8%
Convinced
0.9%


Read more Canada News