Rideau Hall, Tuesday, May 11, 2016

It’s a pleasure to welcome you and your delegation to Rideau Hall and to Canada ahead of the upcoming NATO Summit in Warsaw in July.

Canada and Poland enjoy longstanding, positive relations. Our people-to-people ties lie at the heart of our friendship, with roughly one million Canadians of Polish descent.

In 2014, Sharon and I had the great pleasure of visiting Poland on a State visit.

It was a memorable trip that strengthened our many ties. It reminded us of all we have in common, particularly in the realm of learning and innovation.

We also paid tribute to those veterans who served our respective countries and to those whose lives were lost in the Second World War, including Canadian and Polish soldiers who fought side-by-side.

The interests of our two countries converge on numerous regional and global issues. We work together through a range of multilateral forums including the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and, of course, NATO.

I am pleased to note the growing interest in and opportunities for trade and investment between our nations. Emerging sectors include mining, clean energy and defence. Opportunities for innovation also exist across all sectors.

As you know, our countries are working together in so many ways. And your visit helps us strengthen these bonds and further enhance our ties through our post-secondary institutions, governments, businesses and culture.

All of you who are here for this luncheon today have a strong connection to both of our nations. You work hard to ensure that we take advantage of every opportunity to collaborate and that we continue to work together toward common goals.

Today’s luncheon will serve as a platform for an even greater friendship between Canada and Poland. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on how we can strengthen our ties and better serve our respective countries.

Canada values its relationship with Poland, and we look forward to continued friendship in the years to come.

To Canada and Poland!