PROBABLE CANADIAN DEMARCHE TO SYRIA

UNCLAS OTTAWA 000024 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM SY CA SUBJECT: PROBABLE CANADIAN DEMARCHE TO SYRIA REF: 07 STATE 171106 ¶1. (SBU) PolMinCouns on December 31 delivered reftel demarche on Syria and the White House statement on the National Council of the Damascus Declaration to Director General for the Middle East and North Africa Gordon Venner of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Venner indicated on January 7 that Canada was likely to make a demarche to the Syrian government on the release of prisoners of conscience, and promised to provide further information once the top DFAIT leadership had endorsed this approach. Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada BREESE