Ottawa, Wednesday, November 30, 2011

My wife, Sharon, and I are delighted to join you for this special gathering of the diplomatic community.

One of my great privileges as governor general is to welcome foreign heads of mission to Canada in ceremonies at Rideau Hall and the Citadelle. It is always an honour to take part in these occasions, because diplomacy plays a key role in building the smarter, more caring world to which we aspire.

Each of you has been chosen to represent the people of your respective nations, and to work with Canadians in search of common ground. It is an important public service—indeed, it always has been.

I often draw insight from our history, and when it comes to diplomacy, I like to cite the example of Samuel de Champlain—Canada’s first governor in all but name.

It was in Tadoussac in 1603, on the shores of the St. Lawrence River, that Champlain and his French companions first met with members of the regional First Nations. This first encounter came about entirely by chance, but Champlain and the Aboriginal leaders seized the opportunity to meet and to establish good relations for mutual benefit.

As historian David Fischer wrote in his book Champlain’s Dream, this moment marked the beginning of an important alliance.

“[The European and First Nation leaders] treated each other with dignity, forbearance and respect. They began to build an atmosphere of trust that was fundamental to relations between Europeans and Indians. They also kept it growing. When trust grew strong, many things were possible.”

Likewise today, many things are possible when we come together in a spirit of co-operation and mutual respect.

As you may know, I recently returned from State visits to Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore, where I gave a series of speeches on the theme of “the diplomacy of knowledge.” 

I chose this subject to reflect the importance of international co-operation in the spheres of education and innovation in particular, but of course knowledge plays a central role in all aspects of diplomacy between nations.

That is why I am so pleased to mark the occasion of this inaugural diplomatic gala. Despite all that is new in our rapidly changing world, taking the time to build shared understanding remains as vital today as it was in Champlain’s time.

With this in mind, let us seize this opportunity to become better acquainted and to learn from each other.

I wish you a wonderful evening. 

Thank you.