Visit by the Honourable Geoff Regan, P.C., M.P., Speaker of the House of Commons, and a Parliamentary Delegation, Republic of Korea and Mongolia

From September 5 to 10, 2016, the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Honourable Geoff Regan, P.C., M.P., led a parliamentary delegation on a visit to the Republic of Korea and to Mongolia. The delegation consisted of the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, P.C., M.P., Ms. Carol Hughes, M.P., and Ms. Dianne Watts, M.P. Accompanying the delegation were Mr. Marc Bosc, Acting Clerk of the House of Commons, Mr. Brian Underhill, Chief of Staff, Office of the Speaker, and Mr. Simon Larouche, Secretary to the delegation.

The delegates met with the following officials in Seoul, Republic of Korea:

• His Excellency Hwang Kyo-Ahn, Prime Minister;
• His Excellency Chung Sye Kyun, Speaker of the National Assembly;
• His Excellency Joo Hyunghwan, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy;
• Mr. Yong-Hak Kim, President of Yonsei University.

The delegates also visited the broadcasting facilities of the National Assembly, met with members of the Canadian business community in Korea, and visited the facilities of the Canadian company CAE FSS Korea. A visit to the Korean War memorial was also among the scheduled activities. Accompanied by the former president of the Seoul National University and the former prime minister of Korea, His Excellency Chung Un-Chan, the delegates attended a wreath-laying ceremony at the Seoul National Cemetery to honour Dr. Frank Schofield, a Canadian missionary and educator.

In Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, the delegates met with the following officials:

• His Excellency Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, President;
• His Excellency Jargaltulgyn Erdenebat, Prime Minister;
• His Excellency Miyegombo Enkhbold, Speaker of the State Great Hural;
• His Excellency Tsend Munkh-Orgil, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The delegates attended the signing of a foreign investment promotion and protection agreement, and a development assistance agreement between the Canadian and Mongol governments. The administrations of the House of Commons and State Great Hural also signed a memorandum of cooperation. Delegates met with members of the Mongolia-Canada Parliamentary Friendship Group and with women parliamentarians elected to Mongolia’s State Great Hural. The delegation’s schedule included a visit to the Children of the Peak Sanctuary, a daycare centre and development project in a neighbourhood of Ulaanbaatar that receives support from the Government of Canada.

The purpose of the visit was to renew and strengthen relations with the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea and with the State Great Hural of Mongolia. The visit provided an opportunity to discuss issues related to trade and international development, educational cooperation, regional security and parliamentary governance.

View report.