Baird declines invite for special Syria meeting at Davos that includes Iran

OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird plans to take a pass on this week's high-level meeting, chaired by his Norwegian counterpart, on the future of Syria at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland.

However, Baird will attend separate sessions Thursday on the crisis in Ukraine and a meeting focused on the instability being caused by militants in Iraq and Syria.

The details are contained in a copy of Baird's updated itinerary obtained by The Canadian Press.

Baird was among two dozen international figures invited to what was billed as a make-or-break discussion on Syria, along with representatives from Iraq, Jordan, France, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt and the League of Arab States.

Also on the guest list is Iran's foreign minister. Canada has severed relations with Iran, a country that's often a target for criticism from Baird.

Baird's office won't discuss the details of his four days in Davos, but his itinerary says he will have roundtable discussions with some unnamed chief executives while the Norway-led talks on Syria are taking place.