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Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird’s spokesman Rick Roth would only say the office “is a priority for our government, and is a part of our principled foreign policy.”

However, numerous organizations have confirmed receiving invitations to the prime minister’s event, which was first reported by Ottawa-based foreign policy newspaper Embassy.

Those interviewed expressed cautious excitement about the religious freedom office’s official launch.

They say the need to protect religious minorities and freedom is as critical now as when the government promised the initiative two years ago.

But the fact the office has taken so long to come together, and that the details remain largely unknown, provides reason enough to temper expectations.

“We will have to see what happens with the office and what the mandate is,” said Gerald Filson of the Baha’i Community of Canada. “We haven’t seen the mandate and we don’t know who the ambassador is.”

The ambassador’s identity could be a key indicator of how the Harper government sees the office functioning, which may explain reports it had a hard time finding someone to take the position.

“It’s probably a difficult appointment, a delicate appointment,” Filson said. “Anything to do with religion is delicate. It’s a very tough appointment.”

Similarly, it remains unclear exactly what the office will do, or how it will fit into Canada’s dealings with the rest of the world.

“The potential (for the office) is great,” said Kathryn White, executive director of the United Nations Association of Canada. “But there remain lots of potential pitfalls in terms of how the office actually conducts its mandate.”