Category: Mélanie Joly

Ottawa’s New Round of Sanctions on Russians Includes Celebrities, Wagner Group Heads

Canada is sanctioning more Russians whom Ottawa accuses of supporting Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and mercenary violence in Africa. Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has announced new sanctions against 38 individuals and 25 entities. The list has a focus on the paramilitary Wagner Group, which has sent combatants to Ukraine and across Africa. The sanctions…


Canada Weighing ‘Long-Term Security Guarantees’ for Ukraine Beyond War With Russia, Says Minister

Canada is considering some “long-term security guarantees” for Ukraine beyond its support for the country throughout its war with Russia, in order to provide it with security assurances for years to come, says Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly. Ms. Joly spoke to reporters in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 11 where she is attending the NATO Leaders’ Summit this…


RCMP Monitoring Threats Against Indian Diplomats ‘Very Closely’

The federal police force says it is closely tracking the situation pertaining to a planned rally on July 8 to protest the killing of a Sikh community leader in British Columbia. “The RCMP is monitoring this matter very closely,” says spokesperson Robin Percival in an email statement. “We are constantly adapting our protective posture to…


Canadian Ministers Concerned for Safety of Indian Diplomats Due to Threats on Protest Poster

Two senior ministers in the Liberal government cabinet say the promotional material for a planned activity protesting the killing of a Sikh leader in British Columbia is “unacceptable.” One poster circulating online calling for a “Khalistan Freedom Rally” on July 8 in Toronto says “Kill India.” It adds that two Indian diplomats in Canada are…


Canadian Diplomats Spent Over $139,000 on Concert and Gala Tickets Since 2019: Records

The Department of Foreign Affairs has spent over $139,000 on Canadian diplomats buying tickets to concert, gala, or other events abroad since 2019, according to newly released federal records. The department wrote in an Inquiry of Ministry recently tabled in the House of Commons that since May 1, 2019, diplomats have spent $139,114 on tickets to…


MPs Ask Why Chinese Diplomat Who Spied on Falun Gong, Uyghurs Not Expelled Sooner

Opposition MPs are again asking why expelled Chinese diplomat Zhao Wei wasn’t sent packing sooner, given new revelations that the federal government knew for several years he was spying on Chinese dissidents in Canada, on top of targeting Conservative MP Michael Chong. “For three years, this government knew that a diplomat in Beijing’s Toronto consulate was…


Foreign Affairs Minister Announces Canada Will Seek Seat on UN Human Rights Council

Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly announced that Canada will seek a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council for 2028 to 2030. “The multilateral system that underpins [human] rights is under threat like never before. To confront this challenge, we must work together to rebuild the human rights foundation to strive towards a more…


China Expels Canadian Diplomat in Retaliation for Ottawa Declaring Chinese Diplomat ‘Persona Non Grata’

Beijing announced early Tuesday morning that it would expel a Canadian diplomat from China as a retaliatory measure after the Canadian government announced the day before that a Chinese diplomat who reportedly targeted an MP and his family is no longer welcome in Canada. Beijing declared Jennifer Lynn Lalonde, consul in the Canadian consulate in Shanghai, “persona…


Canada Expels Chinese Diplomat Over Threat to MP Chong’s Family

The Chinese diplomat who has reportedly been involved in targeting Conservative MP Michael Chong and his family has been declared persona non grata by Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly. “I have been clear: we will not tolerate any form of foreign interference in our internal affairs. Diplomats in Canada have been warned that if they…


Canada Declares Chinese Diplomat ‘Persona Non Grata’ Over Threat to MP’s Family

Chinese diplomat Zhao Wei, who has reportedly been involved in targeting Conservative MP Michael Chong and threatening his family members in Hong Kong, has been declared persona non grata by Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly. “I have been clear: we will not tolerate any form of foreign interference in our internal affairs. Diplomats in Canada…