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Canada Lobbied Hard Against Palestinian Statehood Bid
(Globe and Mail-Canada) Campbell Clark and Justin Ling - Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird personally took to the phones last year to try to swing countries to oppose Palestinian efforts to be recognized as a state by the UN, according to newly released documents that reveal how intensely Canada worked behind the scenes to block the statehood resolution. Baird called at least eight fellow foreign ministers from countries including Chile, South Korea and Australia. Canadian diplomats have lobbied other countries on other UN votes, but when the foreign minister personally does the calling, it's a signal that Ottawa considers the issue a priority. "The parties should be building trust. Pushing the UN path is counter-productive to achieving this trust. We should encourage the Palestinians to return to peace talks instead," Baird was to tell acting Australian foreign minister Craig Emerson.