Foreign Minister Michael Frendo yesterday concluded a two-day visit to Canada where he held talks with Canadian Foreign Minister Peter McKay, in Ottawa, and visited the Maltese-Canadian community and its leaders in Dundas, Toronto.

Dr Frendo gave Mr McKay an aide-memoire relating to various issues of bilateral interest including a note on Malta's illegal immigration concerns and a request for Canada to assist Malta through a resettlement programme, Maltese participation in Canadian election-observation missions, collaboration with the Canadian International Development Agency, the development of a joint Student Work Abroad Programme and Maltese-Canadian double nationality.

In his meeting with Foreign Minister McKay and in earlier meetings with senior officials from the Commonwealth Division of the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr Frendo also discussed Commonwealth matters including issues currently on the Commonwealth Ministers Action Group's agenda, of which he is the current chairman. Dr Frendo is also a candidate for the post of secretary general of the Commonwealth.

Dr Frendo then flew to meetings with the Maltese community members and association representatives at the Malta Village in Dundas, Toronto. He visited the St Paul Parish Church and Maltese Community Centre in the city where he gave an explanation of the Maltese government's extension of the double nationality provisions to further generations of persons of Maltese descent.

He also emphasised that commitment to the Maltese nation globally is one of the strategic objectives of Malta's foreign policy.

Later Dr Frendo visited the Melita Football Club premises, also in the Malta Village area of Dundas Street, Toronto.

From Canada the Foreign Minister yesterday flew to Lisbon where he joined Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi in a meeting with the Portuguese Prime Minister who will chair the forthcoming Portuguese presidency of the European Union.