Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon will discuss achieving peace in the Middle East when he meets with leaders throughout the region during a visit this weekend.
Cannon will meet with his counterpart in Jordan on Saturday, as well as with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Cannon will then visit with Israeli officials in Jerusalem on Sunday, before attending a conference in Egypt on Monday to discuss reconstruction efforts in Gaza.
"I look forward to meeting with my counterparts and others to advance bilateral issues and to discuss how the international community can best support Middle East peace efforts," Cannon said in a statement. "I appreciate very much the constructive approach of key moderate states in the region, such as Jordan and Egypt. I am pleased to have this opportunity to discuss Canada's support for their efforts and the way forward on the peace process."
The Conference in Support of the Palestinian Economy for the Reconstruction of Gaza will be co-hosted by Norway and Egypt. The latter country has tried to bring Israeli and Palestinian leaders together to negotiate a long-lasting peace accord in the region.
Tensions in the region are high after Israel launched a military offensive in the Gaza Strip near the end of December, with the goal of halting rocket fire from Gaza into southern Israel.
Israel ended the offensive on Jan. 18, but there is no long-term ceasefire agreement and there has been sporadic violence along the border.
Humanitarian groups are also concerned that closed Gaza border crossings have choked off residents from food and medical supplies.
In 2007, Canada made a five-year, $300 million aid commitment to Palestinians. The government pledged an additional $4 million in aid to address "pressing humanitarian needs" in the region.
