Minister Fast Attends Opening of CIM Office in Burkina Faso

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina-Faso, June 20, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade, attends the opening of the second African office of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM). CIM's first African branch is located in Dakar, Senegal. The opening of a second office allows Canada to further share best practices with the region and will make the knowledge and experience of Canadian miners, geologists and managers more available to their African counterparts. CIM is the sector's leading Canadian professional organization, with over 14,600 members, 35 branches and 10 technical societies. Canada is the largest investor in Burkina Faso.

Minister Fast is on a 10-day visit to Africa, visiting four countries identified as priority markets in Canada's Global Markets Action Plan: Burkina Faso on June 18 and 19, Madagascar on June 20 and 21, South Africa from June 22 to 24 and Tanzania from June 25 to 27, 2014. He is meeting with key business and government leaders to advocate for stronger trade with Canada, leading to jobs, growth and prosperity both in Canada and abroad.