Thank you, colleague. That is a very good question.
You know that the subject of official languages is a fundamental one for me. It has been part of my involvement in politics since I have been a minister and since I have been in federal politics.
In the White Paper I tabled as the former Minister of Official Languages, there was certainly an intention to do more in terms of the place of French at Global Affairs Canada and in our Canadian diplomacy. The objective of the bill on the modernization of the Official Languages Act was to crystalize the role of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie for Canada. That objective has been achieved.
When I was appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs, I spoke with the Deputy Minister, Marta Morgan, about my concerns regarding the status of French at Global Affairs Canada. That is why two new francophone assistant deputy ministers were recently appointed. We can see them on the monitor. Allow me to introduce Antoine Chevrier and Alexandre Lévêque. They are responsible for Sub-Saharan Africa and for all public policy within Global Affairs, respectively. Of course, our colleagues at Global Affairs may work in both official languages.
I would like to point out that I ask that my preparatory meetings take place in French. I work with diplomats in French, and sometimes in English, of course, depending on my counterparts' language and the issues I am working on.