By Dylan Robertson Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand is rejecting claims that her government is prioritizing trade over humanitarian aid and human rights. The federal government under Prime Minister Mark Carney has been criticized for cutting foreign aid, signing economic deals with autocracies and avoiding openly criticizing American actions against multilateral institutions. But Anand told the Ottawa Civic Space Summit on Thursday that Canada’s values are “deeply integrated” into its economic and defence interests. “I want to gently push back against the idea that civic space is somehow different from our objectives relating to economic growth and defence and security,” Anand said. “In order for a country to be strong, in order for institutions to thrive, citizens themselves must feel safe and protected and they must have the economic means…
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