Visit of the Honourable Peter Milliken, M.P., Speaker of the House of Commons, and a Parliamentary Delegation, Germany
From October 9 to 13, 2007, the Speaker of the House of Commons led a parliamentary delegation composed of the Honourable Jay Hill, P.C., M.P.; the Honourable Albina Guarnieri, P.C., M.P.; Mr. Michel Guimond, M.P.; Mr. Yvon Godin, M.P.; Mr. Anthony Carricato, Events Officer in the Speaker's Office and Mr. Jean-François Pagé, Secretary to the delegation.
The delegation met with the following people:
- His Excellency Dr. Norbert Lammert, President of the Bundestag;
- His Excellency Dr. Harald Ringstroff, President of the Bundesrat and Premier of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern;
- Mr. Walter Momper, President of the Berlin Parliament (House of Representatives);
- Mr. Erich Iltgen, President of the State Legislature (Landtag) of Saxony;
- Mr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic of Germany;
- Mr. Christian Schmidt, Parliamentary State Secretary, Federal Ministry of Defence;
- Mr. Klaus-Peter Flosbach, Chair of the German-Canadian Parliamentary Group;
- Mr. Ruprecht Polenz, MdB, M.P., Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee;
- Mr. Thomas Strobl, MdB, M.P., Chair of the First Parliamentary Committee in the Bundestag;
- Mr. Gernot Erler (SPD), Parliamentary State Minister at the German Federal Foreign Ministry; and
- Ms. Karin Strempel, M.P., Parliament of Saxony (Constituency of Meissen).
The visit aimed to strengthen relations between Canada and Germany and increase dialogue between the two parliaments. The delegation also discussed issues of shared interest, including the NATO mission in Afghanistan. The delegation had the opportunity to attend the debates of the Bundestag on extending the German mission in Afghanistan and the vote by members, who extended it by one year.