Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon has cancelled a diplomatic visit to Russia because of the volcanic dust cloud which has caused the closure of airspace across much of Europe.
Cannon was due to visit Moscow, Zagreb (Croatia) and Helsinki (Finland) from April 18-21 to discuss international security issues and the Canadian priorities for the G8 and G20 summits. He then planned to travel to Tallinn (Estonia) for a meeting of NATO foreign ministers on April 22-23.
Cannon's press office said new dates for the visits had not yet been set and that the foreign minister may still be able to attend the NATO meeting.
The eruption began on Wednesday on the Eyjafjallajokull Glacier in Iceland. The island sits on a large volcanic hot spot in the Atlantic's mid-oceanic ridge. The volcano last erupted on March 21. Before that it had been dormant since 1821, when eruptions lasted for two years.
Moscow, April 17 (RIA Novosti)
