Visit of the Honourable George J. Furey, Q.C., Speaker of the Senate, and a Parliamentary Delegation, Argentina, Chile and Peru

From August 29 to September 7, 2018, the Speaker of the Senate, the Honourable George J. Furey, Q.C., led a parliamentary delegation on a visit to Argentina, Chile and Peru. The delegation was composed of the Honourable Jim Munson, Senator; the Honourable Donald Neil Plett, Senator; and the Honourable Marc Gold, Senator. Accompanying the delegation were Mr. Stuart Barnable, Chief of Staff of the Speaker of the Senate, and Ms. Vanessa Moss-Norbury, Secretary to the delegation.

In Argentina, the delegation met with:

• Her Excellency Gabriela Michetti, Vice-President;
• Senator Federico Pinedo, Provisional Senate President;
• Senator Miguel Angel Pichetto, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate;
• Senator Omar Angel Perotti, Vice-President of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and Worship;
• Senator Rodlopho Urtubey, Chair of the Appointments Committee;
• Senator Cristina Del Carmen Lopez Valverde, Chair of the Canada-Argentina Parliamentary Friendship Group;
• Mr. Luis Petri, 2nd Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies;
• Ms. Silvia Lospennato, President of the North-America Parliamentary Friendship Group;
• Mr. Pablo Avelluto, Minister of Culture;
• Mr. Leopold Sahores, Undersecretariat for Issues of the Americas, Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
• Mr. Pablo Secchi, Director of Poder Ciudadano; and
• Mr. Miguel Morley, President of the Argentina-Canada Chamber of Commerce.

In Chile, the delegation met with:

• Mr. Carlos Montes Cisterna, President of the Senate;
• Ms. Maya Fernandez Allende, President of the Chamber of Deputies;
• Senator Alvaro Elizalde President of the Canada-Chile Inter-Parliamentary Group of the Senate;
• Senator Ricardo Lagos Weber, President of the Senate’s Foreign Affairs Committee;
• Mr. Roberto Ampuero, Minister of Foreign Affairs; and
• Mr. Rene Arrayet, Director of the Law Evaluation Committee of the Chamber of Deputies.

In Peru, the delegation met with:

• Mr. Martín Vizcarra Cornejo, President of the Republic of Peru;
• Mr. Daniel Salaverry Villa, President of Congress, Congress of the Republic of Peru;
• Dr. María Cristina Melgarejo Paucar, Congresswoman and President of the Canada-Peru Parliamentary Friendship League;
• Mr. Allan Wagner, Director Academia Diplomática del Perú;
• Dr. Walter Albán, Senior Professor, Law Department, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú;
• Mr. Percy Medina, Head of Mission, Idea Internacional; and
• Canadian investors in Peru.

The purpose of the visit to South America was to strengthen relations with Argentina, Chile and Peru, and to both reaffirm and expand on existing trade relationships. The delegates met with a wide variety of individuals and groups, including legislators, NGOs, business people, students and Canadians working abroad.

There was fruitful dialogue with parliamentarians in each country where matters such as the bilateral relationship and the importance of parliamentary exchanges were highlighted and expanded upon. To deepen their knowledge of Canadian investment in the region, the delegation met with several leaders from the business sector. These exchanges lead to a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing Canadian businesses in South America.

The Speaker and the Senators also had the privilege to hear from young people during their trip. In Chile, they participated in a Questions and Answers session with alumni of Canadian Universities. Whilst in Peru, the delegation met with adolescents from the Community of Carabayllo, who are participants in a UNICEF programme that focusses on education and the awareness of rights and policies applicable to youth.

In addition to the aforementioned meetings, the delegation also met with Ambassadors and senior officials from the Embassies of Canada for briefings on an array of topics, with a focus on trade and current economic and geopolitical realities.

The report will be available once it has been tabled in the Senate.