31st July, 2015
Officials from 20 countries involved in the United States-led coalition against Islamic State (IS) gathered in Canada’s Quebec City on Thursday to discuss ways to improve their campaign.
The two-day, closed-door meeting, held at the city’s landmark Chateau Frontenac, includes representatives from the US, Germany, France, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The meeting is also expected to focus on military, political and humanitarian efforts against the radical Islamist group.
Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Rob Nicholson, is scheduled to be at the conference, which is being co-chaired by Canada, the US and Iraq.
“IS continues to present a serious threat to regional and global security, including a direct threat to Canadian citizens at home and abroad,” Nicholson said in a statement.
The meeting in Quebec City came on the heels of the group’s first closed-door gathering held in Paris on June 2.
In March, the House of Commons passed a motion renewing Canada’s mission against IS for another 12 months, as well as to expand it to Syria.
Canada has deployed six fighter jets along with about 600 troops as part of the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
In addition, 69 Canadian Special Forces soldiers are training Iraqi and Kurdish forces in Northern Iraq.
Canada has also provided about 387 million dollars in humanitarian assistance to aid victims since the beginning of 2014.