OTTAWA - Peter Van Loan, Member of Parliament for York-Simcoe and Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs will travel to Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia July 13th-July 21st on behalf of the Department of Foreign Affairs. The visit will promote Canada's bilateral relations with these countries and to discuss mutual interests in the promotion of democracy, freedom, human rights and good governance.
Van Loan's background is Estonian. His mother and grandparents emigrated to Canada, after being forced to flee the Soviet Communist occupation. (Many in the family that did not flee died in Siberian concentration camps or otherwise at the hands of the Communists).
The family chose Canada as their destination, seeking a land of freedom, hope and opportunity.To this day Canada is working hard to promote these values abroad.
Canada has significant populations from all four of the countries Van Loan will visit, who share similar émigré experiences.
A highlight will be a meeting with Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga, who spent much of her life in Canada, before returning to Latvia after independence was restored. The President was a friend of Van Loan's mother, when they studied psychology together at the University of Toronto.
"This Region is re-emerging and becoming increasingly influential throughout Europe, and the world. The Baltics and Poland share our values of freedom, democracy, human rights, and rule of law. Having recently lost, and then regained their freedom, they take international commitments to advancing democracy very seriously," said Van Loan..
All four countries all have forces in Afghanistan today.
"This visit offers Canada an opportunity to discuss with government officials and civil society representatives future goals and opportunities for cooperation" said Van Loan.
Peter Van Loan visits his Baltic homeland (7)
Archived Articles | 14 Jul 2006 | EWR
Viimased kommentaarid
Kommentaarid on kirjutatud EWR lugejate poolt. Nende sisu ei pruugi ühtida EWR toimetuse seisukohtadega.
You mean Grits . . . not Whigs.
Sending a bottle of Canadian maple syrup to tour the Baltics would have been more effective than sending Van Loon. A wee bit of wakey-wakey: he was the former President of the PC party during the unification of the right.
Don't you wonder why he's sharing duties with Kenny and why he wasn't even made a member of the Privy Council?
Give it some thought and then come back.
Sending a bottle of Canadian maple syrup to tour the Baltics would have been more effective than sending Van Loon. A wee bit of wakey-wakey: he was the former President of the PC party during the unification of the right.
Don't you wonder why he's sharing duties with Kenny and why he wasn't even made a member of the Privy Council?
Give it some thought and then come back.
Hey Tim, your partisan leanings are obvious. I think I've seen you mix and mingle with the best of them at Liberal functions. Not that there's anything wrong with supporting Liberals. Some of my best friends are Whigs. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania need more boosters in the corridors of Parliament Hill. MPs visits serve this end and should be supported no matter what the party affiliation!
Essential to what? From his press statement it would seem that he's using tax payer dollars for a journey to discover his roots: he's meeting with Frieberga because she's his mother's old school chum!
The reality is that low level contacts like this won't improve relations as any report to parliament will be shoved to the back of that day's agenda . . . if they get to it at all.
And in today's reality, Van Loan should be in Ottawa dealing with the crisis at hand. His only responisbility as PArl Sec. is consular affairs and as such he has totally botched the Lebanon evacuation.
In the coming weeks, heads will roll, and his will be the first.
See you on the backbenches Estonian Pete!
The reality is that low level contacts like this won't improve relations as any report to parliament will be shoved to the back of that day's agenda . . . if they get to it at all.
And in today's reality, Van Loan should be in Ottawa dealing with the crisis at hand. His only responisbility as PArl Sec. is consular affairs and as such he has totally botched the Lebanon evacuation.
In the coming weeks, heads will roll, and his will be the first.
See you on the backbenches Estonian Pete!
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