Many
thanks to the University of Saskatchewan
International for organizing this event,
and for all of you for coming together
to celebrate Mongolia-Canada-Saskatchewan
relations.
We Prairie
Canadians are pleased to have with us
today important representatives from the
Mongolian government: The Hon. Darjaa
Nasanjargal, Minister for Food and Agriculture
Governor Nyamsuren of Selenge Province
and the other members of the delegation.
Minister,
I hope you and your delegation have found
your visit to Canada to be fruitful in
encouraging private sector initiatives
to improve agricultural productivity in
Mongolia. We Canadians wish you every
success in all your challenges, including
the loss of approximately a third of your
livestock herds in the last two years.
I also
would like to acknowledge the key role
that Ambassador Batsukh has played in
improving Mongolia-Canada relations since
the opening of the Embassy of Mongolia
less than a year ago. He has been one
of the most active ambassadors on the
Asia Pacific scene!
Mongolia-Canada
Similarities
Canada
and Mongolia share so many similarities:
geographically, we both live beside huge
economic powers and use a great deal of
time and energy working on managing our
bilateral relations with them. Our economies
are both dependent on trade and exports.
We also share the many joys and pains
of cold winters (I believe Ottawa competes
with Ulaanbataar as the coldest capital
in the world.) Our agricultural industries
play key roles in both our economies.
Needless to say, despite the distance
between our countries, we have much in
common, including our warm hearts.
Permit
me to congratulate the Mongolian State
University of Agriculture (MSUA) and the
University of Saskatchewan for their world
renowned work on the agricultural front.
Their partnership is paving the way for
academic exchanges, not only in agriculture
but in areas like governance and computer
science. The success of this initiative
is the reason we are here today. The success
of institutions such as the University
of Saskatchewan is why Canada is recognized
as a leader in post-secondary education.
To our Mongolian friends, you couldn’t
have chosen a better partner, and we’re
honoured that you have taken this opportunity
to visit us and join us here today.
Canada
and Mongolia have much to learn from each
other. One excellent example is agriculture.
Canada’s expertise isn’t limited
to traditional agriculture alone. We’re
also leading the field in the innovative
sub sector of agricultural biotechnology.
In fact, Canadian ag-bio research is among
the most innovative in the world, and
we all know that one of Canada’s
best biotech clusters is here in Saskatchewan.
We can
look across the campus to the College
of Agriculture. One can’t miss it!
It’s evidently the largest building
in the province, and where we find one
of the top institutions of its kind in
Canada.
We can
also look, as an example, to Innovation
Place - one of the top three research
and development clusters in North America,
already employing over 2000 men and women
in 121 business and organizations.
And we
can see the energy and enthusiasm surrounding
the Canadian Light Source Synchrotron,
where some of us will go this afternoon.
There are now 1000 academic staff at the
University of Saskatchewan. The Synchrotron,
at full capacity, will provide for 2000
researchers per year.
There’s
the work of organizations such as Ag-West
Biotech, which is an incubation center
here in Saskatoon. Ag-West Biotech provides
support to small, medium and large Saskatchewan
companies to promote and support the growth
of its agricultural biotechnology industries.
It is crucial in ensuring that Canada
maintains a strong and profitable role
in the biotech market world-wide.
Prairie
Sense of Community
A defining
element of Canadian agriculture is that,
along with excellence, there is a deep
sense of community - both local and global.
We see that especially here in Prairie
Canada. Many of the lessons we learned
were harvested from the seeds of drought
and despair. We also know that agricultural
experts here are as committed to learning
from others as they are about sharing
their experience. This commitment to community
is one of the traits that characterizes
this campus, which I recall first visiting
in 1957 from Winnipeg. It’s one of
the characteristics that helps to define
Canada as a whole.
Canadians
value our relationship with Mongolia,
and we especially value Mongolia's status
as a newly democratic state. We look forward
to closer relations over the coming years,
particularly as we celebrate thirty years
of diplomatic relations in 2003. I hope
to visit Mongolia next year ... and hope
we can welcome even more of your colleagues,
Minister, to Canada as well.
Enabling
the Business Environment
Mongolia’s
foresight in creating an attractive climate
for foreign investment has resulted in
increasing cooperation between our two
countries in the field of mining exploration
and development. Canada welcomes the elimination
of the gold tax, which is very good news
for Canadians active in mining. This initiative
squarely positions Mongolia as a more
attractive destination for mining exploration.
The move is a further indication that
Mongolian government is interested in
working with the international community
to create a welcome environment for expanded
trade with foreign countries.
In short,
Mongolia and Canada have much in common
. All of us Canadians here today are pleased
that Canada was able to provide a contribution
through the Red Cross this year to assist
in coping with severe winter conditions
in Mongolia. In past years, severe winter
conditions in your country have resulted
in the loss of so much of your livestock,
which in turn created hardship for many
rural Mongolians. In response, Canada
doubled last year’s contribution
of our emergency humanitarian assistance
to Mongolia through the Red Cross.
Other development
assistance is delivered through CIDA and
the Canada Fund for Mongolia. CIDA Inc.
and Agriteam, for example - of which U
of S is a partner - have been involved
in an agricultural project in Mongolia
for the past two and a half years. The
purpose of the project is to assist in
the rehabilitation of the Mongolian cereal
crop sector. Success will have a significant
positive impact on the food security situation
of Mongolia, which now has to import two-thirds
of its wheat and flour requirements.
In Closing
The floor
is now open to all of you. I look forward
to hearing your views on any topic you
deem important, including:
·
Where do you see our relationship heading
in the years ahead?
·
What areas hold out the most promise for
Saskatchewan-Mongolia trade?
·
What about trade with Canada generally?
·
Is the Canadian government doing enough?
·
What are the particular challenges you
face in pursuing these partnerships yourselves?
There are
many interesting areas to explore - joint
entrepreneurship, for example ... technology
transfer ... knowledge sharing ...the
lessons we’ve learned in our experiences
to date, whether in the private sector,
in government, or in academia ... But
I’ve gone on long enough. Let’s
raise our glasses again ... To even closer
ties between our countries ... and to
our Mongolian friends.
Bayrlalaa!
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