Rideau Hall, Monday, September 15, 2008

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to Rideau Hall, particularly since Canada is in the midst of exercising one of the fundamentals of democracy.

You will have a front‑row seat for debates on issues that are important to Canadians, and will have the opportunity to get a feel for the various opinions that run through Canadian society.

I would like to encourage you to take advantage of your time here in Canada to go out and meet with Canadians.

You will find that they are open and share your hopes for peace, freedom and prosperity.

You will see that the rule of law, respect for human dignity, equality between women and men, freedom of speech and the responsibility to act, good governance, and sustainable development are values that we are committed to promoting, here at home and around the world.

These values are part and parcel of what our citizenship means to us and the role we want to play in the world.

And you will find that Canada is rich in diversity, which we consider one of our greatest strengths, be it demographic, regional, linguistic, geographic or cultural.

This is something that we share, Ambassador Geerts, with the Netherlands.

Over the years, our leaders and academics have established a productive dialogue on a multitude of issues relating to multiculturalism and diversity, a dialogue that we hold dear and hope to enrich even further and to bring to a new age, putting more emphasis on our shared values than on our differences.

Because we believe that this dialogue can also encourage reflection on a global scale on the need to adopt an approach that promotes solidarity and is respectful of differences.

This is the approach that Finland and Canada favour, particularly with respect to circumpolar matters.

Ambassador Piipponen, our two countries have a lot in common, not the least of which is the northern dimension.

Internationally, our countries are both committed to finding multilateral solutions to global issues.

For example, Canada wholeheartedly supports Finland’s leadership role within the Organization for Security and Co‑operation in Europe.

Canada and Finland also share the conviction that women and men are equal in rights and dignity, and I would like to take this opportunity to commend your country’s leadership in this regard.

I believe that as we move forward in the 21^st century, we will need to find values that all civilizations share.

The time has come, and I could not be happier, to rethink the world in terms of this map of shared values, rather than the borders that separate us.

But this map should not give rise to confrontation. Instead, it should bring cultures together, which will inevitably lead to greater openness to one another.

A wind of change is sweeping through the Americas, one that, we hope, will encourage this coming together.

Ambassador de La Roche, I would like to emphasize our work in partnership with several Central and South American countries, notably Guatemala, to help our brothers and sisters in Haiti, who have been hard hit recently by the passage of Hurricane Gustav, to break the devastating cycle of misery and violence.

I believe that, given the current state of the world, it is more important than ever for us to focus on our solidarities and strengthen the ties that bind us.

Ambassador Nasser, I want to assure you that Egypt is an important partner for Canada in the Middle East.

We are delighted that Egypt is leading the way in ensuring peace and security in the region, and we want to express our appreciation for your country’s efforts to address the many challenges that this task has raised.

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

Continuing our dialogue, strengthening our ties and pooling our efforts and energies: this is what we should focus on throughout your mandate, strong in the friendship that binds us.

I believe profoundly in diplomacy at the human level. And so, to friendship, to sharing, and to solidarity!