Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'd like to thank the officials for being here.
I'll first address the issue of public diplomacy.
In 2022, Daniel Livermore, who was a public servant in international relations for three decades, was concerned that Global Affairs Canada seemed to be ignoring international cultural affairs. He explained that the Senate's 2019 recommendations called for the development of a cultural strategy and that this recommendation went unanswered.
How does Canada see cultural and public diplomacy in its future strategy? Couldn't Canada make more investments in the francophonie, particularly to get closer to certain African states that are increasingly turning to China and Russia?