Canada environment chief apologizes for Syria praise
Ottawa, (MILLAT ONLINE):Canada’s Environment Minister Catherine McKenna apologized Wednesday for a Twitter message praising Syria for joining the Paris Agreement on climate change.
The message has also been deleted from her Twitter account.
“Look, the tweet was completely unacceptable,” the minister told reporters.
“I’m a human rights lawyer,” she said. “I know more than anyone that the murderous Assad regime and the actions that they’re committing, atrocities against their own people are completely unacceptable.”
McKenna explained that staff in her department had posted the message to her account, and that as soon as she saw it, she ordered it taken down.
“You know, mistakes happen,” she commented.
The message had said, “Canada salutes Nicaragua and Syria for joining on to the Paris Agreement!” alongside mockups of the Syrian and Nicaraguan flags.
Signed in the French capital in December 2015, the treaty entered into force on November 4, 2016.
Syria told the UN climate talks in Bonn on Tuesday that it would join the Paris Agreement, leaving the United States as the only nation in the world opting to stay outside the landmark treaty.
The United States ratified the 2015 pact, but US President Donald Trump announced earlier this year that he would pull out, saying the pact did not serve US interests.
McKenna is expected to join next week 12-day negotiations in Bonn, tasked with elaborating and implementing the agreement.
“I can assure everyone that I will not be meeting with Syria at the Bonn climate talks,” she said.
“My focus is going to be squarely on advancing climate action with the rest of the world.”