Visit of the Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, Speaker of the Senate, and a Parliamentary Delegation, Mexico
From January 11 to 18, 2009, the Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, Speaker of the Senate, led a parliamentary delegation to Mexico. The delegation was composed of the Honourable Senator Gerald J. Comeau, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate; Ms. Ann Kinsella; Ms. Janelle Feldstein, Chief of Staff of the Speaker of the Senate; and Ms. Danielle Labonté, Secretary to the delegation.
In the city of Veracruz, the delegation met with:
- Lic. Fidel Herrera Beltrán, Governor of the State of Veracruz, accompanied by government officials of the State of Veracruz;
- Dr. Jon Gurutz Rementería Sempé, Mayor of Veracruz, accompanied by municipal officials;
- Deputy Marcos Salas Contreras, Federal Deputy representing the 8th District of the State of Veracruz;
- Cap. Nav. C.G.D.E. Mario del Carmen Ríos Hernández and officials of the Heroic Military Naval School;
- Lic. Juan Ignacio Fernández Carbajal, Director General and representatives of the Port Authority of Veracruz;
- Lic. Oscar Lara Hernández, President, National Chamber of Services, Commerce and Tourism of the State of Veracruz and representatives of various business areas; and
- From the University of Veracruz: Dr. Roberto Bravo Garzón, Coordinator, Multidisciplinary Research Centre; Dr. Raúl Cortés García, Leader of the Bio-Oil Research Project; and Dr. Jesús Samuel Cruz Sánchez, Director General, General Directorate of Investigations.
In Mexico City, the delegation met with:
- His Excellency Gustavo Madero Muñoz, Senator, Speaker of the Senate;
- His Excellency César Duarte Jáquez, Deputy, Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies;
- Senator Ángel Alonso Díaz Caneja;
- Senator Ricardo García Cervantes;
- Senator Josefina Cota Cota;
- Mr. Emilio Gamboa Patron, Deputy;
- Mr. Raúl Cervantes Andrade, Deputy;
- Ms. Marcela Cuen Garibi, Deputy; and
- His Excellency Francisco Barrio Terrazas, Ambassador of Mexico to Canada.
As part of the visit to Mexico, Speaker Kinsella also participated to the 6th World Meeting of Families at which he delivered an address on the family and some dimensions of the role of the state. He also met with:
- Most Reverend Ennio Cardinal Antonelli, President, Pontificium Consilium Pro Familia; and
- His Eminence Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Archbishop of Quebec.
This visit aimed at further enhancing the already strong relations between Canada and Mexico. The delegation discussed general economic and political issues of shared interest, as well as more specific topics related to port facilities, aquaculture, agriculture and bilateral exchanges between Mexican and Canadian researchers, academics and students. The delegation also took this opportunity to meet with their counterparts in the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies of the Mexican Congress to discuss the XVIth Canada-Mexico Interparliamentary Meeting which will be hosted by the Parliament of Canada this year.