Visit to Canada of Her Excellency Nino Burjanadze, Chairperson of the Parliament of Georgia, and a Parliamentary Delegation

From February 14 to 20, 2007, at the invitation of the Honourable Peter Milliken, Speaker of the House of Commons, Her Excellency Nino Burjanadze, Chairperson of the Parliament of Georgia, led a parliamentary delegation to Ottawa, Gatineau and Montebello. The delegation was composed of Mrs. Irine Kurdadze, M.P., Head of the Speaker’s Cabinet, Faction: "National Movement - Democrats"; Mr. David Bakradze, M.P., Chairman of the Committee on European Integration, Faction: "National Movement - Democrats"; Mr. Varlam Kiladze, M.P., Deputy Chairman of the Sector Economy and Economic Policy Committee, Faction: "National Movement - Democrats"; Mr. Ivliane Khaindrava, M.P., Faction: "Democratic Front" (Opposition); Mr. Jim Hart, Advisory Board to the Speaker of the Parliament – Member; Mrs. Thea Goguadze-Apfel, LL.M., Assistant to the Speaker of the Parliament on External Affairs; Mrs. Ia Makharashvili, Press Secretary to the Speaker of the Parliament; and Mr. Shalva Lazariashvili, Assistant to the Speaker of the Parliament on Security Issues.

While in Canada, the delegates met with the following officials:

• The Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, Senator, Speaker of the Senate;
• The Honourable Peter Milliken, M.P., Speaker of the House of Commons;
• The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister;
• Dr. Bernard J. Shapiro, Ethics Commissioner;
• The Honourable Stéphane Dion, P.C., M.P., Leader of the Official Opposition;
• Mr. Deepak Obhrai, M.P., Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs;
• The Honourable Peter Mackay, P.C., M.P., Minister of Foreign Affairs;
• Mr. Robert Miller, President and CEO of the Parliamentary Centre;
• Mr. Jean Pierre Kingsley, Chief Electoral Officer;
• Ms. Diane Davidson, Deputy Chief Electoral Officer and Chief Legal Counsel;
• Mr. Marc Lemieux, Forum of Federations;
• The Honourable Helena Guergis, P.C., M.P., Secretary of State (Foreign Affairs and International Trade) (Sport);
• Mrs. Sheila Fraser, FCA, Auditor General of Canada;
• Mr. Rick Smith, Assistant Auditor General;
• Mr. Gilles Duceppe, M.P., Leader of the Bloc Québécois;
• The Honourable Jason Kenney, P.C., M.P., Secretary of State (Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity);
• The Honourable Marjory LeBreton, P.C, Senator, Leader of the Government in the Senate and Secretary of State (Seniors);
• Mr. Jack Layton, Leader of the New Democratic Party;
• Mr. J. Barry Turner, Immediate Past President of the Canadian Associations of Former Parliamentarians;
• The Honourable Shawn Murphy, P.C., M.P., Chairman of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts of the House of Commons;
• Mr. John Williams, M.P., member of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts; and
• The Honourable Bill Graham, P.C., M.P.

The visit was an opportunity to pursue the cordial relationship between Canada and Georgia. Discussions were held on the diplomatic relations between our countries and relations between Russia and Georgia. Chairperson Burjanadze and her delegation were able to visit the Canadian Museum of Civilization. On February 15, Chairperson Burjanadze participated in a conference organized by Canada's Democracy Council on the topic: "A dialogue on Canada's Approach to Democratic Development" and also gave a public lecture before Carleton University’s Centre for European Studies.