Rideau Hall, Friday, January 18, 2013

Welcome all of you to Rideau Hall! I often call this the home of the people of Canada, so it is only fitting that your journey should begin here.

Let me also acknowledge and thank outgoing chief of Protocol, Margaret Huber. Like all of you, she has been a steadfast believer in the power of diplomacy. Her dedication, knowledge and service will be missed and we wish her well in her new endeavours. She is a member of the family here and much loved by all of us.

Many of you and your families are seeing Canada for the first time, and I encourage you to take this opportunity to travel far and wide, to meet with Canadians, whom you will find to be warm and friendly, and to discuss ways in which we can work together.

That is just one of the things you will be doing in Canada: finding new and innovative ways for us to collaborate in a number of areas. Canada is a country that is not only rich in natural splendor, but also rich in ideas, and we hope that is what you will take with you when your time here ends.

Ambassador Ngom, it is an honour to welcome you and your family to Canada. You and I share many interests, particularly education and supporting young people. As a former teacher and university president, I know that a quality education is an important path to success.

Senegal and Canada are already working in partnership in many areas, but I believe that there is still so much room for growth. Our two countries already work together to promote education, and I hope we can encourage more Senegalese students to study in Canada and more Canadians to experience Senegal. You are a dedicated partner in the region, and I look forward to speaking with you on how our countries can continue to work together.

Ambassador Essid, we are delighted to have you here with us today. Your experience as a diplomat in many corners of the world will no doubt ensure your success here in Canada. You understand the importance of collaborating to benefit both our peoples. It is vital that we do so, and I know that you will be integral to our growing relationship.

Canada and Tunisia share similar interests and objectives, including a commitment to democracy and the rule of law. In addition, Canada is a second home to many of Tunisian heritage, as well as a place of study for many Tunisian students. We hope to continue to promote exchanges between our countries that will help our peoples succeed together.  

Ambassador Wolzfeld, I would like to welcome you to Canada. Although you will not be in residence here, I hope that you will take the opportunity your new role affords to discover all that Canada has to offer. As a career diplomat, you know the importance of working together towards a common goal. I look forward to discussing with you the ways in which our two countries have partnered and can continue to partner in the future.

After all, Luxembourg and Canada share a long-standing friendship dating back to the Second World War. Our country was a haven for the Luxembourg Royal Family at that time, and since then, we have found ways to increase our ties. Today, we are important economic partners and have so much potential to collaborate in the areas of science and technology, and especially to share knowledge across a broad spectrum.

All three of your countries represented here today have something in common: they are all representative of great opportunity in a globalized world. I know that you will do your utmost to ensure that when the time comes for you to return home, you will do so with the knowledge that you made a difference. That you improved and expanded the existing links between our two countries. That the people-to-people ties we enjoy have been strengthened through mutual understanding and the sharing of knowledge.

Once again, I welcome you to Canada. I look forward to working with each of you so that our countries can thrive in the coming years.

Thank you.