The Prime Minister’s director of communications Sandra Buckler provided us with the following information this afternoon:
Prime Minister Harper spoke today to Prime Minister Janez Janša of Slovenia. The Prime Minister congratulated Prime Minister Janša on being the first new European Union (EU) member state to hold the rotating Presidency of the European Union. Leaders discussed the commitment undertaken at the Canada-EU Summit in Berlin in 2007 to complete a study on a closer economic partnership between Canada and the EU, which is due to be completed in the spring. The results of this study will be reviewed at the 2008 Canada-EU Summit under the French Presidency in order to pursue a balanced and closer economic integration, something which the business communities in both Europe and Canada support and for which Prime Minister Janša confirmed Slovenia’s support. The Prime Minister then raised Afghanistan and Canada’s appreciation for the Slovenian troop contribution. The Prime Minister underscored Canada’s continued interest in and support for the EUPOL mission, an EU initiative to build capacity and in train the Afghan National Police. Canada has contributed 22 police personnel to the EUPOL Mission, an undertaking which leaders agreed was crucial to the success of the overall international effort in Afghanistan. Finally, leaders noted that Canada and Slovenia will face off in the opening round of the Hockey World Championships in Halifax on May 2 and said they looked forward to meeting at the NATO Summit in Bucharest in April.