Minister Paradis Travels to South Africa and Tanzania / Events in Cape Town, South Africa (February 2–3)
OTTAWA, Canada, January 31, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- On February 2 and 3, Minister Paradis will meet with representatives from the Canadian mining industry, and host a Canada-Africa business networking event.
The Minister will also deliver opening remarks at a Canadian-hosted breakfast discussion forum entitled "Investing in Mining in Africa: Transformation, Challenges and Opportunities." In his remarks, Minister Paradis will announce Canada's support toward a number of new initiatives. This event will be open to media. Minister Paradis will also deliver opening remarks at an African Union Commission event on the Africa Mining Vision and African Minerals Development Centre, where he will discuss the importance of responsible resource development that benefits communities and of engaging the private sector in the development of the extractive sector in Africa.
Events and site visits in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (February 4–5)
On February 4, Minister Paradis will deliver opening remarks at a round table event on maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) co-hosted by the governments of Canada and Tanzania, and the Aga Khan Foundation. Discussions will focus on advancing MNCH in Tanzania, including using innovative approaches to improve health systems. This event will be open to media.
On February 5, Minister Paradis will visit a hospital in Dar es Salaam to see first-hand the provision of health care for newborn and maternal health, and to gain further insights into Canada's support to Tanzania's health sector. Minister Paradis will also visit a secondary school with senior officials from the Tanzanian Ministry of Education and Vocational Training to engage on the education sector's challenges and opportunities.
During the visit, Minister Paradis will also meet with key senior officials of the Government of Tanzania. Lastly, Minister Paradis will deliver keynote remarks at an event on Canada's G-8 partnership with Tanzania on transparency in the extractive sector, originally announced by the Prime Minister at last June's G8 Summit in Lough Erne, and where the Minister will announce a number of Canadian-funded projects. This event will be open to the media.