• Tweeter
  • republish

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a press conference in Ottawa, January 17, 2020. REUTERS / Blair Gable

In a few days, the Canadian and Iranian foreign ministers spoke to each other three times, mainly to discuss the fate of the many families bereaved by the accident of flight PS752. The two governments have never had so much dialogue since September 2012, when they cut diplomatic ties.

With our correspondent in Quebec, Pascale Guéricolas

Paradoxically, the Iranian missile which caused “ by mistake on January 8 the explosion of a Ukrainian airliner seems to have favored the dialogue between Canada and Iran. Real rapprochement or necessity linked to the circumstances?

The question arises when observing the dialogue established between the Canadian and Iranian governments in recent days. Officially, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau highlights the need to obtain the support of the Iranian authorities to help the bereaved families , and to facilitate the work of the investigators on the ground.

No diplomatic representation in Tehran

Indeed, the absence of an embassy in Tehran is detrimental to the support to be given to those who have lost a loved one on the plane. During his first election campaign in 2015, the Canadian Prime Minister promised to renew diplomatic relations with Iran. Except that a law passed by its predecessor seriously limits an action in this direction. Iranian diplomats settling in Canada risk having their property seized because Iran is on the list of countries supporting terrorism.

We will have to see in the coming days whether relations are heating up between the two countries. Part of the answer will no doubt depend on the willingness of the Iranian regime to participate transparently in the investigation of this air tragedy.