February 26, 2012 - Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird issued the following statement:
“This is a dubious ploy by the Assad regime to delay the inevitable while continuing its slaughter of Syrian civilians. Assad’s “referendum” is a farce. It is also too little, too late.
“Assad must go. A new day must dawn for the Syrian people.
“Canada will continue working with our international partners to pave the way for a peaceful transition to a society that respects the fundamental rights of all its people.
“Canada stands with the people of Syria as they aspire to build a new Syria based on democratic values and institutions.”
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