OTTAWA - Canada wants its Central American neighbours to get their economic houses in order, so that Ottawa can spend less on crime-fighting and terror-prevention programs in the region.
That's the message that Diane Ablonczy, Canada's junior foreign affairs minister for the Americas, delivered in a major speech at Foreign Affairs headquarters on Tuesday.
"We'd like to see our Central American partners implement fiscal reforms," she said. "The reason we want them to do that is so they can better fund and help fund and contribute toward their own security."
She was starting a day of closed-door talks with more than 100 diplomats, experts and civil society organizations.
"It's never a good thing when you have to depend on . . . other people to do important initiatives in your own country."
She said Canada wants a closer partnership.
Canada has earmarked $40 million for programs in Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean to combat crime and terrorism and contribute to peace and security in the coming year, she said.
"In the last few years, Central America has become one of the most violent regions of the world, outside of active conflict zones," she added.
"Crime is transnational. It doesn't respect borders. What happens in our neighbourhood impacts us. Surely those trends take in Canada and our own citizens."
Canada can't meet its ever-deepening commercial interests in the Americas without addressing security concerns, she said.
Ablonczy presented several talking points to kick-start what was to be a day of discussions with Latin American stakeholders, including acknowledging Canada's sometimes bumpy relations with Latin America's economic power, Brazil.
"We have some key differences with Brazil on how we see the world and how we approach some issues. But we love Brazil," she said.
Ablonczy did not offer specific examples of those differences, but at the global climate change talks in Durban, South Africa, Canada is arguing that emerging economies such as China, India and Brazil should be subject to emission-reduction commitments.
Over the years, the two countries have had to contend with trade disputes involving their respective regional jet industries and Canada's decision to temporarily ban Brazilian beef because of a fear of mad cow disease.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper travelled to Brazil last summer in an effort to forge stronger ties.
Though the Harper government has aggressively pursued free-trade deals across the Americas and the Caribbean, it faces a tough challenge with Brazil.
Brazil needs the consent of Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay -- follow members of a common South American economic bloc called Mercosur -- to enter such an agreement. Canada has begun exploratory talks with Mercosur on a free-trade deal.
Brazil will soon replace the United Kingdom as the world's sixth-largest economy. It is also Canada's 10th-largest merchandise trading partner and a key innovation and education partner, she said.
Ablonczy said Harper's recent visit contributed to strengthening the Canada-Brazil relationship, which she said has reached "a new level of maturity and positive engagement."
Brazil's emergence as an influential power was one of four topics to be discussed in the Tuesday partnership dialogue, along with economic trends in the hemisphere, "competitive realities" and security reform.
Since 2007, Harper has made re-engaging with the Americas a top priority of his government, dedicating a junior cabinet post to the job.
Ablonczy told her audience that the Tuesday meeting was an essential part of the government's strategy to keep its Americas policy current and take advantage of opportunities.
