OTTAWA—France is still keen to see Canadian troops deployed to a UN peace operation in Mali as the Canadian government insists it has not yet decided what the “right” mission is.

“We are not putting pressure on Canada to make the decision, this is very important because we know this is not an easy decision to make and that Canada has to assess the situation to make a thorough, full decision,” said Eric Navel, spokesman for the French embassy in Canada. “But still we’d be happy to see Canada come to Mali within the MINUSMA (the UN peace operation in Mali).”

“We are used to working with the Canadian military and we know their expertise, and we know how good you are,” he said, adding Canadian troops have worked with French forces in the past; many speak French, and would be an asset in Mali.

France, which holds one of the five permanent seats on the UN’s Security Council, has deployed to Mali to operate alongside UN peacekeepers in the West African country as part of a five-country counter-terrorism operation, Operation Barkhane, in the Sahel region south of the Sahara.

As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau headed to New York Tuesday for three days of events at the United Nations, he reiterated his determination to campaign for one of the rotating Security Council seats in 2021.

Yet Trudeau, who last year pledged to send 600 soldiers and 150 police officers to participate in UN peacekeeping operations, was forced to defend why it’s taken his government so long to announce where they should go.

“Any government needs to take extremely seriously the responsibility involved in sending Canadian troops potentially into harm’s way around the world,” Trudeau told reporters at an Ottawa news conference Tuesday.

“We are going to make the right choice about how Canada can best help in engaging in international peacekeeping, and when we make that determination, we will let you know.”

Canadian government sources have told the Star the government is not feeling pressure from allies to announce a deployment and that pressure from France in particular has lessened since the election of Emmanuel Macron, successor to Francois Hollande.

But the French embassy clarified that there has been no change in position regarding France’s desire to see Canada step up in Mali.

“France didn’t change its commitments to Mali and the Sahel region after the election of President Macron. We are still committed with Operation Barkhane, and of course we will be happy to see Canada joining the MINUSMA there,” Navel said.

Asked if it has any concerns about Canada’s foot-dragging, Navel, a spokesman for French Ambassador Kareen Rispal, said, “We are waiting to see what is going to happen regarding Canada ‘being back’ within the peacekeeping operation of the United Nations,” he said, adding the question is best put to the UN.

Farhan Haq, a spokesman for the UN last week told the Star UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expects Canada to announce its deployment at a ministerial peacekeeping conference in Vancouver in November.

France is among dozens of countries invited to attend the November conference, but Navel said it has not yet decided what level of representative will go, citing a busy schedule for its defence minister.

Over the next three days, Trudeau too has a busy schedule of events tied to the UN general assembly of world leaders in New York City.

Despite the lack of announcement on Canadian peacekeepers, Trudeau said his government will continue its campaign for the seat. His government, he said, has “re-engaged on the world stage over these past two years, whether it’s been…leading the way on the fight against climate change, whether it’s engaging in important international military engagements, whether it’s putting our special forces and Canadian forces to good use in northern Iraq, or holding strong on the eastern front of NATO in Latvia. We continue to engage in constructive, positive ways. We’re looking at ways to continue to support and do even more for our Caribbean friends faced with yet another hurricane barrelling down on them.”

“Canada knows that we have an important role to play on the world stage, and being part of the UN Security Council in 2021 will ensure that an important voice gets heard and resonates around the world. So yes, we are continuing to … make the case that Canada should have a seat on the UN Security Council in 2021.”

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Accompanied by his wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau and six cabinet ministers, Trudeau was to be honoured Tuesday night in New York for leadership in advancing “inclusiveness, diversity and economic growth,” according to his office.

He will speak to a Bloomberg global business forum; participate with Melinda Gates, of the Gates Foundation, in a meeting to discuss progress on the UN’s sustainable development goals; speak to 6,000 young people at a WE Day UN event, and deliver Canada’s address to the UN General Assembly on Thursday.

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