Tag: Questions Asked

‘I believe Russia is a democracy’

| January 23, 2022 | 0 Comments
‘I believe Russia is a democracy’

Ambassador Oleg Stepanov agreed to an interview with Diplomat as 2021 was winding down. This is the first time a Russian ambassador has agreed to speak to the magazine since Georgiy Mamedov did so in 2008 in a wide-ranging interview. Ambassador Stepanov has a master’s in international journalism and public relations and has been with […]

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‘These are always hard times. This is a Churchillian moment we’re looking for here’

| October 16, 2021 | 0 Comments
‘These are always hard times. This is a Churchillian moment we’re looking for here’

Epidemiologist Bruce Aylward is the senior adviser on organizational change to the WHO’s director general. He’s also a Canadian from Newfoundland, and has spent his career in public health, much of it at the WHO, where he’s held various positions, including special representative of the director general for the Ebola response. He also led the […]

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‘The picture used to be that men are diplomats, women are secretaries and that has changed a lot’

| July 9, 2021 | 0 Comments
‘The picture used to be that men are diplomats, women are secretaries and that has changed a lot’

With the help of EU Ambassador Melita Gabric, Diplomat organized a panel for its usual Q & A with editor Jennifer Campbell. The group — all women heads of mission — has a formal organization, which Gabric chairs, and it meets regularly to discuss common areas of interest. Today, there are 29 women who are […]

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‘Lukashenko is one of the worst COVID [deniers] on the planet’

| April 24, 2021 | 0 Comments
‘Lukashenko is one of the worst COVID [deniers] on the planet’

Alena Liavonchanka became the chairwoman of the Belarusian Canadian Alliance in Toronto in 2017. In that capacity, she works with fellow Belarusians in Canada and worldwide to promote its culture, language, arts and to raise awareness about the political situation in Belarus. She studied biochemistry in Belarus and came to Canada as a post-doctoral fellow […]

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Nutrition is something that’s intimately connected to the stability of our world

| January 20, 2021 | 0 Comments
Nutrition is something that’s intimately connected to the stability of our world

Joel Spicer is a global health leader who has led initiatives and partnerships in nutrition, maternal and child health, TB, HIV, innovative finance and resource mobilization. Over his career, he has worked for the Canadian International Development Agency, UNICEF, the WHO, Stop TB Partnership and the World Bank. He attended the Harvard School of Public […]

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Immigration, trade, investment: The ingredients for growth

| October 31, 2020 | 0 Comments
Immigration, trade, investment: The ingredients for growth

Before joining the Business Council of Canada in 2018, Goldy Hyder was president and CEO of Hill + Knowlton Strategies Canada, a communications firm. Prior to that, he was director of policy for former prime minister Joe Clark. A regular commentator in the Canadian media, he hosts the Speaking of Business podcast, which invites innovators, […]

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COVID-19: ‘There was no reason to think [Canada would] be spared in a major way’

| August 1, 2020 | 0 Comments
COVID-19: ‘There was no reason to think [Canada would] be spared in a major way’

Mona Nemer is the chief science adviser to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as well as to the minister of science and cabinet. She’s charged with ensuring that science factors into policy decisions and that government science is available to the public. Prior to taking on this role in 2017, after Canada had been without a […]

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‘I think Brexit is a mistake, but democracy gives people the chance to make mistakes.’

| April 2, 2020 | 0 Comments
‘I think Brexit is a mistake, but democracy gives people the chance to make mistakes.’

Stefan Pehringer has been Austria’s ambassador to Canada since 2017. The ambassador studied law in Germany before joining the foreign ministry in 1996 and he later completed a doctoral degree in legal studies at the University of Vienna. Before being appointed ambassador to Canada, he had postings in Luxembourg, Germany, Denmark and Latvia. His office […]

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Canada’s 2019 election: “The most unedifying spectacle I’ve ever had the misfortune of seeing.”

| January 1, 2020 | 1 Comment
Canada’s 2019 election: “The most unedifying spectacle I’ve ever had the misfortune of seeing.”

Brian Lee Crowley is managing director of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, which, according to his biography on the website, “exists to make poor quality public policy in Ottawa unacceptable to Canadians and their political and opinion leaders, by proposing thoughtful alternatives through non-partisan and independent research and commentary.” Crowley was the founder of the Atlantic Institute for […]

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‘The most concerning piece is the trade war between China and the U.S.’

| September 29, 2019 | 0 Comments
‘The most concerning piece is the trade war between China and the U.S.’

Pedro Antunes is the Conference Board of Canada’s chief economist. He joined the organization as an economist in 1991, after working with the Canadian forecasting group at the Bank of Canada. He has moved progressively into more senior positions. Prior to his current role, he was responsible for custom research work and economic analysis at […]

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