Thank you, Mr. Chair.
As I said earlier, this is an opportunity to have a conversation.
Mr. Epp, I want to talk about one of my favourite aspects of the work I do in my role, the francophonie. With the strategy's review, I think we have an opportunity to make sure that the francophone community plays a bigger role. I say that because the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie just released its report on the state of French around the world, entitled “La langue française dans le monde”.
Did you know that French is now the fourth most spoken language in the world? It used to be number five. According to the report, French is the second most learned foreign language in the world, with some 170 million people learning the language. The report also states that French is the third most popular language in the business and economic sector. It's an asset for building business relationships. I could go on.
Suffice it to say that those three examples show how we can shine a spotlight on the francophone dimension and leverage the opportunities it provides, as we review Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy. As we know, the francophonie summit is being held in the Indo-Pacific region this fall, in November, I believe. It's taking place in Cambodia, so that provides an excellent opportunity.
As we know, in Canada, we want to make sure that the francophonie continues to prosper. We are bidding to host the 2028 summit.
What role could the francophonie play in all this? Do you have any thoughts on that?