Official Visit to Canada of the Honourable Kolawolé Idji, Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Benin, and a Parliamentary Delegation

From March 21 to 24, 2005, the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Benin led a parliamentary delegation to Ottawa and Quebec City, at the invitation of the Honourable Peter Milliken, Speaker of the House of Commons. The delegation consisted of Mr. André Dassoundo, MNA; Mr. Emmanuel Golou, MNA; Mr. Dominique Houngninou, MNA; Mr. Pascal Amoussou Agbo-Kpongbey, the Speaker’s Chief of Staff; Mr. Fiacre Adonon, the Speaker’s Protocol Officer; and Mr. Serge Adegnika, the Speaker’s Aide de Camp.

During their visit to Canada, the delegates met with the following people:

While in Ottawa:

• The Honourable Dan Hays, Senator, Speaker of the Senate;
• The Honourable Peter Milliken, M.P., Speaker of the House of Commons;
• The Honourable David Kilgour, P.C., M.P.;
• Mr. Gilles Duceppe, M.P., Leader of the Bloc Québécois;
• Mr. John Williams, M.P., Chair of the Standing House of Commons Committee on Public Accounts;
• Mr. Massimo Pacetti, Chair of the Standing House of Commons Committee on Finance;
• Members of the Canadian Branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie
• Dr. Bernard Shapiro, Ethics Commissioner for the Parliament of Canada;
• Representatives of Foreign Affairs Canada; and the
• Canadian International Development Agency;

While in Quebec City:

• Mr. Michel Bissonnet, Speaker of the National Assembly of Quebec;
• Ms. Monique Gagnon-Tremblay, Quebec’s Minister of International Relations and Minister responsible for La Francophonie;
• Members of the Quebec National Assembly’s Culture Committee;
• Mr. Jean-Paul L’Allier, Mayor of Quebec City;
• Mr. Alain Loubier, Chair of the Quebec City Council;
• Mr. Michel Pigeon, Rector of Université Laval.

Because it took place during the week of La Francophonie, the visit was an opportunity to strengthen existing relations between Canada and a fellow member of the world-wide French-speaking family, Benin. Discussions dealt with the level of cooperation assistance given to Benin by Canada, the good governance of parliamentary institutions and the distribution of powers among the federal, provincial and municipal governments in Canada. Speaker Idji and his delegation were able to visit the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Old Quebec City and Université Laval’s Envirotron Pavilion, as well as meeting with representatives of Quebec’s business community and with Beninese students.

***************

The Honourable Dan Hays, Senator, Speaker of Senate of Canada, meets with the Honourable Kolawolé Idji, Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Benin.

From left to right: The Honourable Dan Hays, Senator, Speaker of the Senate of Canada and the Honourable Kolawolé Idji, Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Benin

***************

The Honourable Peter Milliken, M.P., Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada, officially greets the Honourable Kolawolé Idji, Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Benin.

From left to right : Mr. Fiacre Adonon, Speaker’s Protocol Officer; Mr. Pascal Amoussou Agbo-Kpongbey, Speaker’s Chief of Staff; Mr. Dominique Houngninou, MNA; Mr. Emmanuel Golou, MNA; Honourable Kolawolé Idji, Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Benin; Honourable Peter Milliken, M.P., Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada; His Excellency Francis Loko, Ambassador of the Republic of Benin in Canada; Mr. André Dassoundo, MNA; and Mr. Serge Adegnika, Speaker’s Aide de Camp