New York , USA - 20 September 2011 - The Honourable Bernard Valcourt, Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and La Francophonie, attended a meeting of the foreign affairs ministers from the member states of La Francophonie on major political transitions today during the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York. In his speech, he recognized the role played by La Francophonie in supporting the democratic processes underway in the Francophone world.
"In recent months, there has been significant political movement towards the restoration of democracy in many Francophone countries, notably Tunisia and Egypt," explained Minister Valcourt. "Canada welcomes the work that the International Organization of La Francophonie can play in consolidating such democratic processes and will continue to strongly support the countries that are moving in this direction."
While in New York, Minister Valcourt also took the opportunity to chair a round table with potential investors from a variety of sectors, including information technology, life sciences and finance. The Minister spoke about Atlantic Canada’s many competitive advantages: closeness to the American market, a skilled workforce, low corporate taxes, low operating costs, and interesting incentives for investments in research and development.
"Our Government’s top priority is completing the economic recovery through our strong mandate to implement a low-tax plan for job creation and long term growth. In accordance with that plan, I met with business leaders in the United States to promote opportunities for increased trade and business with Atlantic Canada," said Mr. Valcourt.
In 2010, the value of Atlantic Canada's exports to the state of New York totalled $652 million.
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INFORMATION:
Andréa Richer
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency) (Francophonie)
613-790-363
