Ambassador Khaled Bahah was delighted to have met with Mr. Allan Rock, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ottawa on Monday April 27, 2009.

To say that Mr. Allan Rock had a distinguished career is an understatement.. In 1993, he was elected as the Member of Parliament for Etobicoke-centre and named Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada. Mr. Rock was appointed Minister of Health in 1997, were he spearheaded the creation of the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR). As Minister of Industry and Minister of Infrastructure, he introduced Canada’s innovation strategy and was responsible for creating the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation to promote applied research in the social sciences and the humanities. He was appointed Ambassador of Canada to the United Nations in December 2003 and advocated human rights, human security and reforming the UN.

The meeting, which took place at the University premises, began with a warm greeting from Mr. Rock, who expressed his sincere pleasure and honour in meeting with Ambassador Bahah.

During the meeting, both sides expressed their deep desire to expand on the bilateral relations between the two countries and stressed on their interest in having an exchange student programme. Ambassador Bahah encouraged the idea of having more Yemeni students come to Canada and have the educational experience of Canadian universities. He also expressed his desire for expanding the educational programme in Yemen and invited Mr. Rock to visit and tour the universities there, who, in turn expressed his willingness and appreciation for the invitation.