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Canada-US Inter-Parliamentary Group holds its 50th annual meeting "The accomplishments in the first half-century have laid the groundwork for a productive future" From 15-18 May 2009, Senator Jerry Grafstein and Mr. Gord Brown, M.P., Co-Chairs of the Canadian Section of the Canada-US Inter-Parliamentary Group (IPG), led a delegation to the Group's 50th Annual Meeting in La Malbaie, Quebec. At the meeting, delegates agreed to ten resolutions that will, in part, guide their efforts over the coming year (see Appendix A). The meeting was attended by 8 Canadian Senators and 14 members of the House of Commons as well as by 6 US Senators and 4 members of the House of Representatives (see Appendix B). "At this, our golden anniversary, the members of the IPG were able to continue the frank discussions that characterize our annual meetings," said Senator Grafstein. "Many of the issues that were discussed are those that, at least at this time, have critical importance for our nations. I am thinking of such issues as economic recovery and financial system stability, our shared border, the war against terror, and our joint energy and environmental future." Mr. Gord Brown continued: "The issues on our agenda are not always easy, and compromises and cooperation must occur in order for us to arrive at our resolutions. That being said, I think everyone was pleased with the opportunity to share their views in an honest, passionate and productive way. I look forward to working with my American colleagues over the coming months in trying to advance our interests in the priority areas identified at the meeting." Recognizing that the Group was celebrating its 50th anniversary, messages of congratulations were received from Prime Minister Harper and President Obama as well as from the Speaker of each chamber in the Canadian Parliament, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, and the majority and minority leaders of the US Senate. It should be noted that the views expressed in this news release are specific to the Canadian Section of the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group and, as such, may not reflect the views of the US Section. The Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group aims to find points of convergence in respective national policies, to initiate dialogue on points of divergence, to encourage the exchange of information, and to promote better understanding among legislators on shared issues of concern. Additional information on the Group can be found at http://www.parl.gc.ca/iia/Association.aspx?Lang=E&DCId=4&DTId=6&P=overview&ORGId=1383. -30- For further information:
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