Visit of the Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, Speaker of the Senate, Slovakia, Holy See, Sovereign Military Order of Malta and Italy
From October 14 to 20, 2010, the Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, Speaker of the Senate, visited Slovakia, the Holy See, the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and Italy. The Speaker was accompanied by Mrs. Ann Kinsella and Ms. Janelle Feldstein, Chief of Staff of the Speaker of the Senate,
In Slovakia, Speaker Kinsella met with:
- His Excellency Richard Sulik, Chairman of the National Council; and
- Mr. Bela Bugar, Vice-Chairman of the National Council.
At the Holy See, the Speaker met with:
- His Holiness Benedict XVI; and
- The Most Reverend Liam Bergin, Rector of the Irish Pontifical College.
During the visit to the Holy See, Speaker Kinsella represented the Senate of Canada at the canonization of Brother André Bessette, C.S.C., of Montreal.
At the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, he met with:
- His Excellency the Venerable Bailiff Fra’ Gherardo Hercolani Fava Simonetti, Grand Commander;
- His Excellency Jean-Pierre Mazery, Grand Chancellor;
- His Excellency Fra' Carlo d'Ippolito di Sant'ippolito, Member of the Sovereign Council;
- His Excellency Antonio R. Sanchez-Corea, Jr., Member of the Sovereign Council;
- The Venerable Bailiff Fra’ John A. MacPherson, Former Member of the Sovereign Council;
- Countess Isabella Salburg-Falkenstein;
- His Excellency Alberto Leoncini Bartoli, Diplomatic Counsellor and Ambassador of the Order of Malta to the Holy See; and
- Mr. Paul Michel Saghbini, Hospitaller of the Lebanese Association of the Order of Malta and Observer to the Synod for the Middle East.
In Italy, the Speaker met with:
- Mr. Vannino Chiti, Deputy Speaker of the Senate of the Republic of Italy.
The objectives of the visit were to enhance relations between Canada and Slovakia, the Holy See, the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, and Italy; encourage ongoing parliamentary dialogue by further promoting parliamentary exchanges; highlight the range of Canada’s interests in the region; discuss foreign policies with respect to issues of international and mutual interest; promote educational exchanges; promote research sharing in the area of agriculture; promote collaboration between container shipping ports; as well as pursue good relations in all fields of contact.