On August 18, 2021, the following members of the Canadian Section of ParlAmericas (CPAM) participated in a virtual meeting organized by CPAM and ParlAmericas’ International Secretariat to commemorate 60 years of diplomatic relations between Canada and Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama:
• Marc G. Serré, M.P., Chair of CPAM, Member on ParlAmericas’ Board of Directors (North America) and Chair of the ParlAmericas Corporation;
• The Honourable Rosa Galvez, Senator, Vice-Chair of CPAM, President of ParlAmericas’ Parliamentary Network on Climate Change (PPCC), 2nd Vice-President of ParlAmericas’ Board of Directors and Treasurer of the ParlAmericas Corporation;
• The Honourable Mobina S. B. Jaffer, Senator;
• The Honourable Marilou McPhedran, Senator; and
• The Honourable Marie-Françoise Mégie, Senator.
Parliamentarians and ambassadors from Canada and the Central American countries noted above met to celebrate key achievements over the past six decades of diplomatic relations and interparliamentary cooperation.
Mr. Serré and María Inés Solís Quirós, Member of Costa Rica’s Legislative Assembly and representative on ParlAmericas’ Board of Directors (Central America), provided welcoming remarks.
Senator Galvez then moderated a panel comprising presentations by parliamentary delegations from Canada, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. In highlighting common priorities for Canada and Central American countries, a number of presenters spoke about the importance of interparliamentary cooperation in such areas as trade, gender equality and climate action. Senator Jaffer noted the benefits of open and transparent parliaments, and emphasized the role of interparliamentary cooperation in achieving this transparency in all of ParlAmericas’ member countries.
Finally, Fernando Arce, Member of Panama’s National Assembly and one of Central America’s representatives on ParlAmericas’ Board of Directors, and Her Excellency Sofia Cerrato, Ambassador of Honduras to Canada and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Canada, provided closing remarks. They underscored the success of collaborations among Canada and Central American countries over the last 60 years.