Prime Minister Mark Carney has created a new diplomatic position to the European Union in order to boost trade, economic security and the fight against climate change, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said Wednesday.
The new position of Personal Representative of the Prime Minister to the EU will be former clerk of the Privy Council John Hannaford.
“With his extensive experience in developing and strengthening many of Canada’s most impactful relationships throughout the world, John Hannaford will help elevate our partnerships, bolster our shared security, and create major new economic opportunities to empower Canadian workers and grow our businesses,” Carney said in a statement.
Hannaford comes to the position after having served at the deputy minister level in the Departments of International Trade and Natural Resources.
Hannaford also served as the ambassador to Norway from 2009 to 2012, and as a defence policy adviser to the prime minister.
Former Liberal leader Stéphane Dion currently serves as Canada’s special envoy to the EU, and as the ambassador to France and Monaco.
The PMO said in a statement that Dion will be “completing his diplomatic responsibilities in these roles by January,” after having helped to strengthen Canada-EU relations “at a critical moment for Canada’s leadership with new reliable global partners.”
The PMO statement does not provide clarity on how the new role of Personal Representative of the Prime Minister to the EU will be different from the diplomatic role Dion performed.
The statement also does not clarify if the special envoy to the EU will be filled with someone new, eliminated or folded into the new role announced Wednesday.
CBC News has asked the PMO for clarity but has yet to receive a response.
