Trudeau world’s most popular politician: Dion
•Justin Trudeau has emerged as “the most prominent and popular political figure on the planet,” says Global Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion, and world leaders are counting on him to encourage the next American president to support multilateral institutions such as the United Nations.
“The world is concerned (about the U.S. presidential race) and the world is counting on Canada to have a positive influence on the United States, especially when the most prominent and popular political figure on the planet is our prime minister,” Dion said Tuesday in an interview with Postmedia. “I have been told that by everyone. It’s easy to have an entree when you are the minister of foreign affairs for Justin Trudeau, let me tell you.”
“The conjunction of Canada being back and having Justin Trudeau as prime minister, in the context of concerns about where the U.S. will go, since its leadership is so key to the world, this is why we are receiving a lot of support everywhere for (Canada’s bid) for the Security Council.”
He said the bid for a vacant seat on the Security Council in 2021 is not a goal in itself. “It is a tool in our goals for the world — such as diversity, inclusive growth instead of global inequalities, growth that is sustainable and global security.”
Dion said he recognizes that the UN isn’t perfect, “but it’s the institution we have. There is potential for improvement.”
He pointed out that nowhere in the world is there currently war between two states. “That would not have been possible without the UN. In one hemisphere, if Colombia works — and I think it will — there is no conflict. That is an incredible achievement.”
The conflicts that do exist are related to radical ideology and require multilateral solutions, Dion said. “Canada has skills for that — a very courageous and skilled military, professional diplomats, top quality NGOs. Canada must be there, not only because it is our role in the world but because it is in our national interest. We are not immune to these problems,” he said.
The foreign affairs minister said he has engaged in more than 20 bilateral meetings with fellow UN member countries this week, many related to Canada’s imminent deployment of peacekeeping troops to Africa.
There was an expectation that Trudeau might announce where Canadian forces might be deployed during his visit to New York.
But Dion said the situation in Africa is so complex it requires more consultation with allies and more analysis to ensure the deployment is “optimal.”
“It’s not peacekeeping anymore, it’s peace operations. It’s much more complex and we need to work much more with others. It’s why we’ll take the time to consult with allies and look at our capabilities,” he said.
Recent reports have suggested Canada is negotiating an extradition agreement with China. Dion said this is just one of a long list of issues being discussed and explored with China. “The goal is to have a consistent relationship — not an upand-down relationship. It cannot only be trade. If you only do trade, you will not trade. China is a much more complex society.”