<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>Foreign Affairs Minister José Manuel Albares congratulated his new Canadian counterpart, Anita Anand, on Wednesday and wished her predecessor, Mélanie Joly, “much success” in her new role as Minister of Industry.</strong></h4> “Warm congratulations, Anita Anand, on your appointment as Canada's Foreign Minister,” Albares wrote on social media. “Looking forward to working with you to further strengthen our already close bilateral ties, defend democracy and jointly address global challenges,” he added. “Dear Mélanie Joly,” he wrote in another message. “In the last few years we worked closely to reinforce Spain-Canada relations, to promote our shared values of peace, tolerance, democracy, free trade, and for a rules-based global order,” he continued. “I wish you much success in your new responsibility as Minister of Industry,” he concluded. Anita Anand has been elected Minister of Foreign Affairs in Prime Minister Mark Carney's cabinet, who replaced Justin Trudeau (both Liberals) last March following his victory in the April 28 election. Women make up half of the current Canadian government. Anand, of Indian origin, was sworn in this Wednesday on the Bhagavad Gita, the sacred Hindu text. She is the first woman follower of this faith elected to Parliament and to a position in the Canadian government. Before joining the Department of Foreign Affairs, Anita Anand held various positions in the government, including Minister of Public Services and Procurement from 2019 to 2021, leading the procurement of vaccines and personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Minister of Defense from 2021 to 2023, where she led Canada's military aid to Ukraine following the Russian invasion in 2022.
