ULAANBAATAR— I am delighted to be here today with President Elbegdorj to reaffirm the ties of friendship and co-operation between Canada and Mongolia.
Let me begin by offering greetings and best wishes on behalf of all Canadians.
It is truly a great honour to be the first Canadian governor general to undertake a State visit to Mongolia. I thank the President for the gracious invitation extended to me and my wife, Sharon.
This occasion is made even more special by the fact that our two countries are celebrating the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations. It is a wonderful milestone, and truly cause for celebration.
The past four decades have been marked by growing co-operation between our two countries, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the people of Mongolia for being such good friends and partners of Canada.
Our relationship is grounded in shared values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. We have enjoyed and continue to benefit from strong commercial ties, particularly in the realm of resource development, and today our partnerships are growing increasingly diverse.
Our bond is evolving beyond the single thread of commerce to include collaboration in a wide range of bilateral agreements and international organizations.
Today, we are also partners in democratic development and good governance, in peacekeeping, and in strengthening regional and global security.
I am pleased by the growing breadth and maturity of our ties, as they signal the birth of a truly sophisticated relationship.
The opening of the resident Canadian Embassy in Ulaanbaatar five years ago was a sign of our deepening bond, and I think we can now safely say our relationship is flourishing.
As we celebrate 40 years of diplomatic relations, let us reflect upon all we have achieved, while reaffirming our commitment to strengthening our partnerships and seizing new opportunities to work together on behalf of those we serve.
I look forward to all that Canada and Mongolia will achieve together in the months and years to come.
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