Page "Brian Mulroney" Paragraph 39

Mulroney's government opposed the apartheid regime in South Africa.

Mulroney met with many opposition leaders throughout his ministry.

His position put him at odds with the American and British governments, but also won him respect elsewhere.

Also, external affairs minister Joe Clark was the first foreign affairs minister to land in previously isolated Ethiopia to lead the Western response to the 1984 – 1985 famine in Ethiopia ; Clark landed in Addis Ababa so quickly he had not even seen the initial CBC report that had created the initial and strong public reaction.

Canada's response was overwhelming and led the US and Britain to follow suit almost immediately — an unprecedented situation in foreign affairs at that time, since Ethiopia had a Marxist regime and had previously been isolated by Western governments.