OTTAWA -Stéphane Dion Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister says the Liberal government isn’t about to stop calling the Islamic Republic a state sponsor of terror.
Canadian officials and their Iranian counterparts have held preliminary talks aimed at re-establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries after the previous Conservative government severed ties in 2012.
The discussions, which have not yet reached the political level, include getting assurances from the Iranian government that Canadian diplomats will be safe inside the country. The Conservatives cited safety concerns as one reason the Canadian embassy was closed four years ago.
But another reason relations were cut was Iran’s inclusion on the Conservative government’s newly created list of state terrorist sponsors, which opened the door to terrorism victims or their families launching lawsuits against the Iranian government in Canadian courts. The only other country on the list is Syria.
The designation makes re-engagement with Iran more difficult as it effectively accuses the Islamic Republic of aiding and abetting terrorist groups, but removing it could be difficult politically.
On Monday, the opposition Conservatives asked whether the government is planning to remove the designation. The questions coincided with the launch of what the Tories are calling Iran Accountability Week, during which they plan to urge the Liberals not to re-engage with the country.
“Iran is widely considered the world’s pre-eminent sponsor of state terrorism through its support of groups, including Hezbollah,” Conservative foreign affairs critic Tony Clement said during question period. “Will the Liberals do the right thing and commit to keeping Iran designated as a state sponsor of terror?”
“We have no current plans to remove Iran from the list of state supporters of terrorism under the State Immunity Act,” Dion replied. “(It’s) inclusion or exclusion in the future will be based on the actions of the Iranian government.”
“The situation is no better in terms of human rights in Iran,” he said in French.
Dion has previously said re-engagement will take time. In an interview last month, he told the Ottawa Citizen the government has not yet secured a new building for an embassy in Tehran. The minister has described the re-engagement as a “step-by-step process.”
But speaking earlier in the day on Monday, as he launched Iran Accountability Week, Clement said Canada should “be a voice in the international discussions that are going on to ensure we are taking the go-slow approach to lifting sanctions.”
Source: National Post, 3 May 2016