Let me start by thanking Finland for hosting us here so very warmly in Rovaniemi. Canadians will always feel very much at home in a hockey rink. And I want to thank you very much, Timo [Soini, Finland’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs], and your entire team for the excellent work you’ve done chairing the Arctic Council for the past two years. And let me start by saying that Canada is very pleased to support the excellent chairman statement.
"We’re here to update you on the restricted access to China’s market for Canadian canola. We know that maintaining markets for our high-quality canola means more money in the pockets of our farmers and supports good, middle-class jobs for Canadian farm families..."
Canada has a proud tradition of international leadership. Whether confronting climate change, terrorism and radicalization, or international conflicts, the need for effective Canadian multilateral leadership has never been greater than it is today.
"The Maduro regime has violated Venezuela’s constitutional law and created an economic and political crisis that threatens the lives of millions of Venezuelans. We are all well aware of the challenge ahead...."
Dearest friends, distinguished guests, I am honoured to be here today, with so many inspiring women and alongside so many of you who understand the importance of investing in women and of doing everything we must do to advance our rights.
We are all here tonight because we recognise the importance of the transatlantic relationship. Representing as I do the slightly smaller of your two partners from the other side of the Atlantic, let me acknowledge the outsized role the United States has played in creating and leading our transatlantic alliance. We all owe a great deal to our American friends, and speaking for Canada, let me say tonight, how grateful we are to our southern neighbour.
As you know, Canada has a special relationship with the people of the Caribbean region. It is based on our extensive people-to-people ties, our robust commercial relationship, our ongoing development cooperation and our shared constituency at the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
