Canadian Official Says His Country Will Not Bow to Arab Pressure

Canada’s new Secretary of State for External Affairs, Mark MacGuigan, has made it clear that his country will not emulate the pro-Arab bias shown by West European countries dependent on Arab oil. Although 40 percent of its crude oil imports come from Saudi Arabia, MacGuigan declared in a recent interview that “Canada does not depend on the Middle East for its oil and therefore we shall not follow France and Austria in taking measures favorable to the Palestine Liberation Organization.”

Apparently referring to moves by the European Economic Community (EEC) to alter United Nations Security Council Resolution 242 in a way that would change the status of Palestinians from refugees to a political entity, MacGuigan stressed that “Canada stands by the 242 and 338 resolutions of the United Nations.”

He observed that the EEC countries, “are acting under the pressure of their need of oil. It is not an entirely noble cause but this probably constitutes the basis of their policy.”

MacGuigan, who took office after Premier Pierre Elliott Trudeau’s Liberal Party defeated the Progressive Conservative Party of Prime Minister Joe Clark in the elections in February, said he favored “development of relations between Canada and Saudi Arabia.” However, he noted that Canada does not exert much influence in the Middle East and consequently there was no need for it to seek stronger ties with such countries as Syria and Lebanon.

With respect to the adoption of a special law to combat the Arab boycott of Canadian firms that do business with Israel, MacGuigan said, “I shall fight against all attempts and abuses.” He said he hoped to act by ministerial decisions rather than through an anti-boycott law because, in his view, administrative measures will avoid divisions within the Liberal Party which a special anti-boycott law might produce.