Canadians react to death of Kofi Annan

MONTREAL — Former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan was remembered by Canadian politicians on Saturday as a friend of Canada and tireless advocate for peace around the world.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and former prime minister Paul Martin were among the Canadians who added their voices to the tributes pouring in from around the globe following the death of the Ghanian diplomat.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner died Saturday at the age of 80.

Martin, whose tenure as prime minister overlapped with Annan’s as secretary-general, described his friend as “one of the greats.”

“He had a very broad vision which enveloped everybody, and he was always looking ahead,” he said. “He was one of those few people who were able to understand it wasn’t just the rich and powerful nations that counted ... that the rich and powerful nations were going to be very dependent, ultimately, on the poorer nations doing well.”

Martin, who worked with Annan on several occasions, said he believed the former UN head would be remembered most for his commitment to multilateral institutions in an age of globalization. “In today’s age, when many of the world’s leaders seem to think the national interest can prevail against the global interest, that was certainly not his view, it would not have been his view and he expressed it unequivocally,” he said.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also expressed his condolences saying Annan made the world a better place.