Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird used Twitter to announce that Qatar has withdrawn its bid to bring the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) headquarters to Doha from the city of Montreal.
Pleased to confirm #Qatar has withdrawn its bid to move #ICAO HQ from #Montréal @icao 1/2
— John Baird (@HonJohnBaird) May 24, 2013
The Foreign Affairs Minister also tweeted his thanks to the province of Quebec’s International Relations Minister Jean-François Lisée and Montreal Mayor Michael Applebaum. The three met with ICAO officials earlier this month to their desire to keep the UN agency in Montreal.
ICAO has been in Montreal since it was founded in 1947.
Anthony Philbin, an ICAO spokesman, said the agency received a letter from Qatar’s charge d’affaires in Ottawa late Thursday (May 23) saying it was withdrawing its offer to move the agency. Philbin said the letter gave no reason for the decision.
“Montreal has been our home for many decades,” said ICAO Secretary General, Raymond Benjamin in a Friday press release. “While the offer to move us to Doha was extremely generous, ICAO is also very pleased to continue its global mission with the support and cooperation of the Canadian and local governments who have hosted our Headquarters for so many years now.”
More information:
CBC News – Qatar drops bid to move UN aviation agency from Montreal – here
RCI – ‘Team Montreal’ fighting to keep UN’s aviation agency ICAO – here
ICAO web site – www.icao.int
ICAO press release on Qatar announcement – here
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