On Parliament Hill

Canada’s prominence and influence on the world stage continues to grow under the leadership of Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

On a visit to the Middle East, he made history by becoming the first Canadian Prime Minister to address Israel’s Knessett. During his address the Prime Minister reminded the global community that it is “a Canadian tradition to stand for what is principled and just,” and that Canada would stand by Israel “through fire and water.”

Prime Minister Harper was also the first G7 leader to visit Ukraine after the crisis broke out, and he was instrumental in expelling Russia from the G8. Canada remains committed to helping ensure Ukrainians are able to determine the future of their country.

Going forward, our Conservative Government will continue to make sure Canada’s foreign policy is guided by principle, not convenience.

Our Conservative Government continues to pursue the most ambitious trade agenda in Canadian history. With one in five Canadian jobs tied to trade, expanding our trade partnerships is essential to our long-term prosperity.

In addition to the historic Canada-EU Free Trade Agreement, Prime Minister Stephen Harper also visited South Korea to announce the conclusion of negotiations for the Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement. The agreement with South Korea is expected to boost our economy by $1.7 billion per year and give families greater access to imported goods at lower costs. These important trade agreements signal Canada’s continued economic leadership on the world stage.

Prime Minister Harper’s visit to Europe this year was an opportunity to mark two important milestones.

In Warsaw, Prime Minister Harper participated in the 25th anniversary of the Polish Day of Freedom, commemorating the collapse of Communism in Poland the beginning of free and fair democratic elections, and the eventual demise of the Soviet Union.

The Prime Minister also attended the 70th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, France, to honour the sacrifices made by Canadian and Allied Forces and their families during the Second World War.

Both of these ceremonies served as important reminders that we can never take our core values of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law for granted.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, our Conservative Government’s principled foreign policy and international development agenda has launched Canada into a global leadership position on the most important issues facing the international community. We will continue to build on this success by staying true to our principles and standing by our allies.