Afghanistan's ambassador to Canada says millions will remember Mike Frastacky, a Vancouver carpenter who returned to their country year after year to build a school for young children, only to be shot. Photograph by : Vancouver Province

Just weeks before he was set to come home from Afghanistan, a Vancouver man building a school in the war-torn country was murdered over the weekend.

Mike Frastacky, 56, had spent the last four summers building a school in Nahrin, Afghanistan. The carpenter, who lived in Vancouver, had volunteered his time and expertise to build a school that now educates about 580 children.

Ottawa – The Ambassador of Afghanistan to Canada paid a courtesy call on the Honourable Gordon O’Connor, Minister of National Defence on Monday. The two sides exchanged views on the security situation in Afghanistan, and on the role of the international community that is engaged in helping Afghans combat terrorism and reconstruct war-torn Afghanistan.

Amb. Omar Samad conveyed his government’s sympathies to the families, friends, and colleagues of Corporal Francisco

Ottawa – Dr. Ishaq Nadiri, Senior Advisor for Economic Affairs to the President of Afghanistan visited Ottawa on July 21 to discuss bilateral economic and Afghan development issues with Canadian officials.

Accompanied by Omar Samad, the Afghan Ambassador and Embassy Counselor, Mr. Mehrabodin Masstan, the Senior Advisor met with Mr. James Fox, Acting Assistant Deputy Minister at Foreign Affairs Canada. Among other topics, the two sides discussed the impact of security threats on reconstruction.