A protester opposing Egyptian President Mohammed Mursi flees from tear gas fired by riot police during clashes along Qasr Al Nil bridge leading to Tahrir Square in Cairo on January 27, 2013. (REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh)
OTTAWA — The Embassy of Canada in Cairo is closed Monday due to the deteriorating security conditions in that country.
"We take the safety and security of our personnel abroad very seriously," said Rick Roth, press secretary to Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird.
Egyptian President Mohammed Mursi declared a state of emergency on the weekend for three cities on the Suez Canal, where demonstrations and civil unrest have killed dozens of people.
Canadian officials urge travellers to Egypt to "exercise a high degree of caution due to the unpredictable security situation and continued demonstrations throughout the country."
