XI and Carney make a trade deal

Assistant Secretary-General Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee called on Iranian authorities “to halt any execution linked to protest related cases,” and expressed “alarm” at public statements suggesting military strikes on Iran. Pobee called on Iran “to respect due process and fair trial rights for all detainees” and for all deaths to be “promptly, independently and transparently investigated.” On military intervention, she said, “this external dimension adds volatility to an already combustible situation. All efforts must be undertaken to prevent any further deterioration,” adding that Secretary-General António Guterres “remains convinced that all concerns regarding Iran, including those related to the nuclear issue and ongoing protests, are best addressed through diplomacy and dialog.” United States Ambassador Michael Waltz said, “the people of Iran are demanding their freedom like never before in the Islamic Republic's brutal history” and quoted US President Donald J. Trump saying, “the United States of America stands by the brave people of Iran. Period.” Waltz denied allegations “put forward by the regime that these inspired protests are somehow a foreign plot to give a precursor to military action.” He said, “everyone in the world needs to know that the regime is weaker than ever before and therefore is putting forward this lie because of the power of the Iranian people in the streets. They are afraid. They're afraid of their own people.” Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia for his part said, “the whole world has been watching as the United States continues to escalate tensions and fuel hysteria around Iran, declaring that help is already on the way. What's more, in its official statements, Washington has not even tried to cover up the genuine reasons for its alleged concern over the country's internal political situation as it threatens new strikes against Iran.” Today's meeting, Nebenzia said, “is nothing more than yet another attempt to justify blatant aggression and interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state.” Finally Iranian Ambassador Gholamhossein Darzi told the Council that the United States “is attempting to portray itself as a friend of the Iranian people, while simultaneously laying the groundwork for political destabilization and military intervention under a so-called humanitarian narrative.” Darzi said, “Iran seeks neither escalation nor confrontation. However, any act of aggression, direct or indirect, will be met with a decisive, proportionate and lawful response under article 51 of the charter. This is not a threat. It is a statement of legal reality. Responsibility for all consequences will rest solely with those who initiate such unlawful acts.” He denied allegations that the government of the Iran has killed peaceful protesters, which he said, “is quite a distortion of the facts on the ground.” Darzi said, “what the Iranian security forces did confront firmly and responsibly were armed ISIS style terrorist cells and violent separatist groups funded and armed by a few foreign entities, including the Israeli regime. These groups deliberately targeted civilians and law enforcement officers in an attempt to ignite civil war and create the conditions for foreign intervention.” Prime Minister Mark Carney holds a news conference in Beijing, China, following his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Carney announces an agreement with Beijing that would see Chinese tariffs on Canadian canola reduced from 84 to 15 per cent by March 1 in exchange for allowing close to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles into Canada each year at a 6.1 per cent levy rate. The prime minister faces questions from reporters on what the federal government’s warming of relations with China may mean for its relationship for the Trump administration in the United States. He is also asked about the decision of two Liberal MPs to cut short their sponsored trip to Taiwan ahead the Canadian delegation’s official visit to Beijing. ogether, these results will help unlock nearly $3 billion in export orders for Canadian workers and businesses as they realise the full potential of the massive Chinese market of 1.4 billion people. Finally, to build on this momentum, Canada has set an ambitious goal to increase exports to China by 50% by 2030. To achieve this outcome, Prime Minister Carney and President Xi discussed increasing two-way investment in clean energy and technology, agri-food, wood products, and other sectors. Canada and China are both strong advocates of multilateralism. As a key pillar of this partnership, we will deepen our engagement on improved global governance. We will collaborate closely in key areas of shared interest, including climate competitiveness and financial and macroeconomic stability. Canada looks forward to contributing to China’s 2026 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Presidency and appreciates China’s ...