Visit to Canada of the Honourable Lauri Hussar, Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Estonia, the Honourable Daiga Mieriņa, Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Latvia, and the Honourable Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania

 

On January 29, Their Excellencies Lauri Hussar, President of the Parliament of Estonia, Daiga Mieriņa, Speaker of the Parliament of Latvia and Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, Speaker of the Parliament of Lithuania led delegations at the invitation of the Honourable Greg Fergus, P.C., M.P., Speaker of the House of Commons. The Estonian delegation consisted of Mr. Toomas Kukk, Head of Foreign Relations and Protocol Department, Parliament of Estonia, and Mr. Margus Rava, Ambassador of Estonia to Canada. The Latvian delegation consisted of Ms. Linda Cīrule, Chief of Staff, Office of the Speaker, Mr. Edgars Pudzis, Strategic Management Advisor to the Speaker, Mr. Juris Pēkalis, Foreign Affairs Advisor to the Speaker, Mr. Juris Vīgulis, Chief of Public Relations Office, Mr. Zigmārs Gratkovskis, Chief of Protocol, H.E. Kaspars Ozoliņš, Ambassador of Latvia to Canada and Ms. Stella Ankrava, Counsellor, Embassy of Latvia in Canada. The Lithuanian delegation consisted of Mr. Lukas Kornelijus Vaičiakas, Head of the Secretariat of the Speaker of the Seimas, Ambassador Rolandas Kačinskas, Diplomatic Advisor to the Speaker, Ms. Snieguolė Žiūkaitė, Head of the International Relations Unit, Deputizing for the Head of Protocol Unit, Office of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, H.E. Darius Skusevičius, Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania to Canada, Ms. Inga Miškinytė, First Secretary, Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania to Canada.

In Ottawa, the delegation met with the following officials:

• The Honourable Greg Fergus, P.C., M.P., Speaker of the House of Commons;
• The Honourable Peter M. Boehm, Senator, Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade;
• The Honourable Marilou McPhedran, Senator, Member of the Canada-Nordic-Baltic Parliamentary Friendship Group;
• Ms. Yvonne Jones, M.P., Chair of the Canada-Nordic-Baltic Parliamentary Friendship Group.

The Baltic Speakers were visiting Canada to further parliamentary relations and discuss a wide range of issues, including developments in the Baltic Sea region and enhanced Canada – Baltic states relations, support to Ukraine in the face of the ongoing Russian aggression; strengthening NATO deterrence against Russia; developments in the Middle East and other current major international issues.

The report will be available once it has been tabled in the House of Commons.