Visit to Canada of Her Excellency Katalin Szili, M.P., Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Hungary, and a Parliamentary Delegation

From October 28 to November 1, 2007, the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Hungary led a parliamentary delegation composed of Dr. Dezső Avarkeszi, M.P., (Hungarian Socialist Party), Chairman of the Constitutional, Judicial and Standing Orders Committee; Dr. Rózsa Hoffmann, M.P., (Christian Democratic People’s Party), Member of the Committee on Education and Science; Dr. Péter Sárdi, State Secretary, Head of Office for Foreign Relations; Mr. György Kerényi, State Secretary, Chief of Cabinet of the Speaker; Ms. Éva Sőregi, Advisor to the Speaker on matters of Hungarian national minorities living abroad, to Ottawa, Québec City and Montréal, at the invitation of the Honourable Peter Milliken, Speaker of the House of Commons. Speaker Milliken visited Hungary in March 2003, and met Speaker Szili at that time.

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

In Ottawa:

• The Honourable Peter Milliken, M.P., Speaker of the House of Commons;
• The Honourable Rose-Marie Losier-Cool, Senator, Speaker pro tempore of the Senate;
• The Honourable Diane Finley, P.C., M.P., Minister of Citizenship and Immigration;
• The Honourable Jason Kenney, P.C., M.P., Secretary of State (Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity);
• The Honourable Lorna Milne, Senator, President of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association;
• Mr. Tom Wappel, M.P., President of Canada-Hungary Parliamentary Friendship Group; and
• Mr. Kevin Sorenson, M.P., Former Chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development.

In Québec City:

• His Honour the Honourable Pierre Duchesne, Lieutenant Governor of Québec;
• Mr. Michel Bissonnet, President of the National Assembly;
• Mr. Mario Dumont, Leader of the Official Opposition;
• Ms. Monique Gagnon-Tremblay, Minister of International Relations and Minister responsible for La Francophonie; and
• Mr. Daniel Turp, Second Opposition Group Critic for International Relations and La Francophonie.

This visit was an opportunity to strengthen cordial and historic ties between Canada and Hungary. Discussions focussed on visa requirements, parliamentary relations between the two countries and how Parliament functions in Canada. Ms. Szili and her delegation visited the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau and the Notre Dame Basilica in Montreal, and met with members of Montreal’s Hungarian community.