Foreign affairs minister Melanie Joly said it was “unacceptable” for deputy protocol chief in Canada’s global affairs department, Yasemin Heinbecker, to have attended Friday’s event, first reported by Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper.
No Canadian representative should have attended the event hosted at the Russian embassy and no Canadian representative will attend this kind of event again,” Joly said.
Joly also reiterated Canada’s support for Ukraine against Russia’s invasion.