TORONTO, Dec 25, SPA -- Canada's foreign minister said he will head to the Middle East in the New Year to try to revive peace talks in the region. «I would love to, in some fashion, be able to facilitatea coming together and a discussion,» Peter MacKay told CTV in a report broadcast Sunday. MacKay said he was not trying to «set unreal expectations _ but I think we have to constantly try.» MacKay said he also hopes to restart talks on settling the refugee status of hundreds of Palestinians in nearby Arab countries, many of whom fled Iraq as violence thereescalated following the toppling of Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003. «We hope to, in some way, be able to reconstitute thatdiscussion and perhaps find a niche where Canada can make a contribution» to the refugee problem, said MacKay. MacKay also said he plans to visit China in an effort toease recent tension between Ottawa and Beijing. Canada'saggressive push for the release of Huseyin Celil, aChinese-Canadian being imprisoned by China for allegedterrorism links, has angered Chinese officials, as didCanada's granting of honorary citizenship to the exiledTibetan leader, the Dalai Lama. «We are going to have frank, upfront discussions abouthuman rights issues, but of course keeping in mind theimportant trade and human relations that we have developed over the years,» said MacKay. --SPA www.spa.gov.sa/413683