Visit to Canada of Her Excellency Hannelore Kraft, President of the Federal Council of the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesrat), and a Delegation

On September 7 and 8, 2011, Her Excellency Hannelore Kraft, President of the Federal Council of the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesrat), led a delegation to Ottawa at the invitation of the Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, Speaker of the Senate.

During its various meetings in Ottawa, the delegation met with the following representatives:

• His Excellency The Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada;
• The Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, Speaker of the Senate; and
• The Honourable Jason Kenney, P.C., M.P., Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism.

The delegates also participated in a discussion panel with the Forum for Federations entitled “Civic Engagement in the Canadian and German Federations: Learning from Each Other”, and visited Heartwood House.

The visit served to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries and allowed the delegates to meet with various Canadian officials. A number of topics were discussed, including immigration, education, labour mobility, social services, civic engagement, the environment, and the functioning of the Parliament of Canada.