Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Professor Pharand, we've talked at length about conventions and treaties. We are trying to grasp the legal complexities and so forth. I'd like to talk about symbolic gestures, for the layman. For example, the Russians arrive by submarine and plant a flag, while the Danes seize control of an island. One can imagine Canada's reaction to these incidents.
Do gestures like these have an overall impact, or are they merely for show? As far as the negotiations are concerned, what do these symbolic gestures mean?