March 30, 2000
Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Chrétien today announced that he will travel to the Middle East to visit Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and Saudi Arabia April 7-19, 2000.

"The Middle East is a vibrant part of the world where many Canadians work, trade and have family," said the Prime Minister. "Canada has played an important role in the Middle East Peace Process and I will be exploring ways that we can further assist in moving peace forward in the region. I also look forward to discussions with regional leaders on a number of other political and economic issues."

During the visit, Prime Minister Chrétien is scheduled to meet with a number of key leaders in the region including: President Ezer Weizman and Prime Minister Ehud Barak of Israel; Chairman of the PLO, Yasser Arafat; President Hosni Mubarak and Prime Minister Atef Ebeid of Egypt; President Emile Lahoud, House Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Salim Hoss of Lebanon; King Abdullah II and Prime Minister Abd Al-Ra’uf Rawabdeh of Jordan; President Hafez Al-Assad and Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa Miro of Syria; and King Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud and Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia. Prime Minister Chrétien will also visit Canadian peacekeepers on the Golan Heights.

In his meetings, the Prime Minister will explore ways that Canadian expertise in peacekeeping, de-mining, development and refugee related issues can be further utilized to attain a just, durable and comprehensive peace in the region. As the economies of the Middle East experience rapid growth, he will also seek to promote Canada's commercial interests in the region. Bilateral trade between Canada and the Middle East was approximately $2 billion in 1999.

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