Rideau Hall, Tuesday, October 21, 2008

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to Rideau Hall, especially at this time of the year, when Mother Nature is in her full splendour as fall settles in and winter waits just around the corner.

We have come together this afternoon in the spirit of sharing, dialogue, and reconciliation among peoples, and I am delighted to be here with you.

Our perspective—long limited to our own village, region or country—has now expanded to global proportions. This openness calls for greater solidarity and more co‑operation and opportunities for partnership. The actual economic crisis calls for more solidarity than ever and shared perspectives on possible solutions.

This move toward openness is all the more remarkable in the Americas, given that these countries are making increasing efforts to forge alliances, work together and develop common positions.

MINUSTAH is a fine example of this. And if I may, I would like to commend the extraordinary work being done as a result of our partnership with several Central and South American countries, including Ecuador, to help our brothers and sisters in Haiti break the devastating cycle of misery and violence.

Ambassador Chávez Pareja, it is our hope that your presence here will enable us to strengthen the ties that have long existed between our two countries, particularly with respect to trade, co-operation and investment.

I believe that the time has come to rethink the world in terms of the values we share and stop focusing on the borders that separate us.

For the past 63 years, Canada has maintained continuous diplomatic relations with Cuba. With so many years of friendship between us, we hope to be able to explore new avenues for co‑operation while maintaining an open dialogue between our peoples.

I would also like to applaud the contribution of Cuban doctors working in Haiti, because their services are so urgently needed.

Ambassador Vicente Sotolongo and Minister‑Counsellor Rodriguez, I want you to know how deeply Canadians have been affected by the devastation that Hurricane Gustav and Hurricane Ike have brought to your fellow citizens and to your country.

The people of Cuba remain in our thoughts, especially those communities in the western provinces of the island, which were hardest hit.

We are delighted to be able to forge warm, open ties with all of you here, based on common interests.

And Canada and Austria have much in common.

Our ongoing friendship has paved the way for co-operation at international forums. Consider, for example, our joint efforts to promote UN reform, human rights and arms control measures.

I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Austria on being elected to the UN Security Council and to assure you of our support, Ambassador Brandstetter.

We know that Austria is interested in Canada’s immigration and integration policy model and we look forward to a bilateral dialogue in this regard.

While Austria is certainly one of Canada’s key partners in central and southeastern Europe, the same is true of the Czech Republic, with whom we have a strong friendship.

It is a friendship rooted in history, because Canada opened its doors to many Czechs and Slovaks, who today make up dynamic communities that are contributing to the prosperity and richness of our society.

Ambassador Zebrakovsky, I would like to applaud the efforts that your country is making alongside Canada and within the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. We believe that the creation of a provincial reconstruction team by the Czech Republic is a sign of hope for the Afghan people.

At this time, I would like to extend my best wishes to both Austria and the Czech Republic, who will be celebrating their National Day on October 26 and 28 respectively.

I have no doubt that each of you will inject new vigour into the trade, diplomatic, cultural and social relations that unite us.

You can henceforth count on the friendship and support of Canadians to forge and facilitate what we hope will be lasting ties.

And so I urge you to take the opportunity to meet with them. You will find that they are open and share your hopes for peace, freedom and prosperity.

And you will discover that Canada contains the world and that we Canadians treasure our diversity, for it brings us unlimited possibilities.

You will see that the rule of law, respect for human dignity, equality between men and women, freedom of speech and the responsibility to act, good governance, and sustainable development are all values that we are committed to promoting, here at home and around the world, and that they are part and parcel of what our citizenship means to us and the role we want to play in the world.

Continuing our dialogue, strengthening our ties and working together toward a common goal: this is what we should focus on throughout your mandate, strong in the friendship that binds us.

So let us work together on these premises, guided by the friendship, dialogue, sharing and spirit of solidarity that unite us.