The Citadelle, Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Madame President, it is an honour and a pleasure for me and my husband Jean-Daniel Lafond to welcome you to the Citadelle, in a city whose historical significance for this country and continent you know and understand.

Of course, I would also like to welcome you to Canada; but in your particular case, I am pleased to be able to say “welcome back!,” considering that you spent a large portion of your life as a citizen of this country.

As many people know, you and your family arrived in Canada in 1954. You stayed here for over 40 years, before returning to Latvia in the early years of its renaissance as an independent nation.

Given your unique life experience, I think it is fair to say that you are a symbol of the strong bonds of friendship that unite our two countries.

As you well know, there is a very vibrant Latvian community in this country, and Canada was also the first nation to ratify Latvia’s entry into NATO.

I am delighted by the fruitful collaboration that exists between our peoples and the many ties that have resulted in part from high‑level meetings in recent years. And so, Madame President, I hope that this latest visit is just the newest chapter in the ongoing story of cooperation between Latvia and Canada.

And let us remember that while this is an official visit from a head of State of a nation that is both an ally and a partner, it is also a homecoming for a member of the Canadian family and a woman whose extraordinary journey embodies hope throughout the world.

I am certain that you were shaped by your many experiences here over the years. As a young woman open to the world, a successful student, professor emeritus, and in all of your other roles, there is no doubt that you had a significant impact on the lives of many Canadians.

And I would like to thank you sincerely for your importantcontribution to the development of our country, namely as president of the Social Science Federation of Canada and vice‑chair of the Science Council of Canada. Not to mention your work for various departments, institutions and special commissions within the Canadian government.

You are a source of inspiration, for all of us and for generations to come. So many Canadians are proud of all that you accomplished in our country and in your native Latvia, whose democratization process you chose to support at a turning point in its history.

Madame President, I hope with all of my heart that your dearest wish comes true and that, in your own words, [translation] “the Latvian people prosper, grow in strength, beauty, wisdom and happiness.”

And may they know that here, in Canada, as you well know, they will always find friends and allies. May the ties that bind us never be broken!

Thank you.