Philippines pulls out top diplomats from Canada over trash row

MANILA: The Philippines is withdrawing top diplomats from Canada after Ottawa missed a deadline to take back 69 shipping containers full of trash, the latest move in a long-running row stoked by threats from Manila’s outspoken president.Last month, President Rodrigo Duterte threatened Canada with war and said he would personally escort the waste containers by sea back to Canada. “We shall maintain a diminished diplomatic presence in Canada until its garbage is ship-bound there,” Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin said on Twitter on Thursday after the May 15 deadline expired. In a statement, Canada’s foreign ministry said it was “disappointed”, but would continue to engage to resolve the issue. “Canada has repeatedly conveyed to the Philippines government its commitment to promptly ship and dispose of the Canadian waste in the Philippines,” the statement said. “We remain committed to finalizing these arrangements for the return of the waste to Canada.” Locsin also took issue with Philippine diplomats for not doing enough to ensure Canada took back the trash, accusing them of acting in defiance of their president to preserve friendly relations.

from The News International - World http://bit.ly/2Q9IKYE

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