Canada is \u201cat a drawback\u201d in countries like Iran where it lacks a diplomatic presence, but his government shouldn’t be seeking to re-establish relations with Tehran, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\u201cEngagement shouldn’t be endorsement. Having an embassy, having consular services in a rustic doesn’t mean we promote the policies of that country,\u201d Carney told reporters Thursday.<\/p>\n
Commenting on the deadly earthquakes in Venezuela during a Thursday press conference, Carney said not having diplomats on the bottom in Caracas makes it hard for Ottawa to supply help to Canadians.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are a series of nations with whom now we have not seen eye to eye, to place it mildly, where we would not have representation \u2026 Iran, Venezuela (are) two examples, there are others,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat puts us at a drawback, before everything, to helping Canadians which can be in these countries,\u201d he said, adding in some consular cases Ottawa has leaned on countries that \u201caren\u2019t our natural allies\u201d to assist Canadians leave Iran.<\/p>\n
Story continues below commercial<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
This week, a diaspora group called the Iranian Justice Collective said it had heard the Carney government intends to revive diplomatic relations with Iran and reopen the embassies in Tehran and Ottawa.<\/p>\n
![\"Get](\"https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/wp-content\/themes\/shaw-globalnews\/images\/skyline\/national.jpg\")
\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\nGet breaking National news<\/h2>\n
Get breaking Canada news delivered to your inbox because it happens so you will not miss a trending story.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
The group wouldn’t cite the source of its information but said Iran is already behind transnational repression in Canada.<\/p>\n
Carney said there have been \u201cno discussions about\u201d restoring ties with Iran.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had no discussion. I\u2019m making a general point,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Global Affairs Canada wrote in a press release earlier this week it was \u201cnot currently considering reopening an embassy in Iran\u201d and that talks with Iran are limited to consular matters, human rights and nuclear non-proliferation.<\/p>\n
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said in February that \u201cregime change\u201d can be required before Canada would restore ties with Iran, which were severed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper\u2019s government in 2012.<\/p>\n
Iran\u2019s embassy in Ottawa has been empty since then. It has been the positioning of repeated protests against the regime and occasional acts of vandalism.<\/p>\n
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Thursday he doesn’t support reopening embassies with Iran.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a terrorist regime that has killed our people,\u201d he said, citing transnational repression and the destruction of an aircraft with scores of Canadians aboard in early 2020.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t