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Canadian foreign minister resigns

Xinhua, February 4, 2015 Adjust font size:

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird on Tuesday officially announced his resignation from his post and that he would not be standing for re-election this year.

"Last night I spoke to the prime minister and informed him I was standing down from cabinet. I expressed my intention not to run in the next general election in the new riding of Nepean and I also expressed my intention to stand down as member of Parliament for the Ottawa West-Nepean in the weeks ahead, " Baird told the House the Commons of Canada in his farewell speech.

Baird also said "the time has come to start the next chapter in my life" after nine years as an member of parliament. But he did not indicate why he decided now was the time to step down, nor would he disclose a future career in the farewell speech.

Baird, 45, successively held a variety of portfolios in Prime Minister Stephen Harper's cabinet after he moved to federal politics, serving the posts including president of the Treasury Board, minister of the Environment, minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, leader of the Government in the House of Commons, as well as minister of Foreign Affairs. Endite