Her Excellency Ambassador Kareen Rispal hosted a networking reception at the French Embassy for key parliamentarians and more than 60 Ambassadors and High Commissioners accredited to Canada.
The Speaker of the House of Commons, the Honourable Anthony Rota, thanked both the Carleton Initiative for Parliamentary and Diplomatic Engagement and the French Embassy for providing the opportunity for the parliamentary and diplomatic communities to meet. Other guests included the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rob Oliphant, as well as MPs and Senators on the House and Senate Foreign Affairs committees, and members of Interparliamentary Associations and friendship groups.
The Director of the Carleton Initiative, Maureen Boyd, noted the importance of forging people to people contacts to enable dialogue and to exchange ideas and best practices between countries and, in particular, the importance of cultural diplomacy. Prior to speeches, Canada’s preeminent federal museums – the National Gallery; the Canadian Museum of History and the Canadian War Museum; the Canadian Museum of Nature; and Ingenium, Canada’s Science and Technology, Aviation and Space and Agriculture and Food Museums – showcased their cultural organizations to guests.
The Dean of the Faculty of Public Affairs, Dr. André Plourde, spoke on behalf of Carleton’s Chancellor, Yaprak Baltacioğlu, and President, Benoit-Antoine Bacon, in thanking the Ambassador and the French Embassy.
Details can be found in the attached programme.
Gallery: Photos by Alonzo Hernandez
