Visit to Canada of His Excellency France Cukjati, M.D., M.P., President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia, and a Parliamentary Delegation

From November 4 to 8, 2006, His Excellency France Cukjati, M.D., M.P., President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia, visited Ottawa and Toronto at the invitation of the Honourable Peter Milliken, Speaker of the House of Commons. President Cukjati was accompanied by Dr. Marko Pavliha, M.P., Mr. Jožef Jerovšek, M.P. and Mr. Miro Petek, M.P. The delegation was greeted at the Ottawa International Airport by Mr. Eric Janse, Clerk Assistant and Director General of the International and Interparliamentary Affairs Directorate.

In Ottawa, the delegation met with the following people:

• The Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, Senator, Speaker of the Senate;
• The Honourable Peter Milliken, M.P., Speaker of the House of Commons;
• Mr. Peter Van Loan, M.P., Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs;
• The Honourable Lorna Milne, Senator, Chair of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association; and
• Mr. Kevin Sorenson, M.P., Chair of the Standing Committee of Foreign Affairs and International Development.

While in Ottawa, the delegation visited the Canadian Museum of Civilization.

In Toronto, the delegation met with:

• Mr. Joseph Tascona, M.P.P., Second Deputy Chair of the Committee of the Whole House of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

The main items discussed during the meetings were:

• NATO’s role in the stabilization of Afghanistan;
• Slovenia’s assuming the Presidency of the European Union in 2008; and
• The future of the European Union (expansion and adoption of Constitution).