Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to South Africa for the G20, which will include a meeting with the country’s president, comes as Canada prioritizes boosting trade with other continents and plans to scale back foreign aid.

A senior Canadian official said the Carney government’s first phase of diversifying trade away from the U.S. is heavily aimed at Europe and Asia.

The official added that the government’s commitment to Africa isn’t diminished, but “it’s not what the prime minister’s focus is on right now.”

The recent federal budget doesn’t mention Africa or allocate any new money for Canada’s long-awaited Africa strategy to boost engagement with the continent, which launched in March.

Budget's $2.7B cut to foreign aid leaves international development in limbo, say NGOs

Edward Akuff

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