Colleagues, I'd like to welcome you to the third meeting of the Special Committee on the Canadian Mission in Afghanistan.
Tonight we have with us His Excellency Omar Samad, the ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to Canada. Ambassador, it's a great honour to have you with us tonight.
First I'd like to congratulate you on the safe arrival of your son, who is only seven weeks old. Congratulations. I also realize, Ambassador, that you appeared before the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development on December 4. Thank you very much for your appearance at that point in time as well.
This is the Special Committee on the Canadian Mission in Afghanistan. Part of our mandate is to study all aspects of the Canadian mission in Afghanistan and, in doing so, to improve communication regarding our Canadian mission within Parliament and particularly with Canadians. That's why tonight's meeting is a public meeting. We're in televised facilities, so it's a televised meeting as well.
I understand you have approximately an hour with us, but you're able to stay a little bit longer if necessary, so what I would propose to you, Ambassador, and to my colleagues, is that we start with an opening statement of approximately 10 minutes or so. Then we can have one round of seven minutes and a second round of five minutes. Then we'll simply see, because that will bring us to the end of an hour.
On that note, Ambassador, thank you once again for your presence, and I turn the microphone over to you.