Madam Speaker, I am pleased to participate in the debate respecting the participation of Canadian forces in the peacekeeping mission in co-operation with other countries in the former Yugoslavia.
The peace agreement signed a few weeks ago brought a sigh of relief for all after the many years of bitter battle which had raged in that area of the world.
Canada has a long tradition of peacekeeping. Whenever the word peacekeeping is mentioned, Canada's name comes to the forefront. We have had experience in this area for almost 40 years.
Monitoring peace is a noble cause. It shows a willingness for fellow humans and governments to do something constructive to alleviate human suffering. It will bring stability to a region that has been torn up after many years of internal conflict and civil war. It is the first time in a spirit of co-operation, NATO forces along with the non-NATO forces, are participating in this peacekeeping effort.
It is not a military mission alone. It is a mission of hope for the people of the Balkans. It is a mission of ending misery for the people of Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia. It is a mission of ending ethnic cleansing which has cost the affected communities tens of thousands of innocent lives.
Actions speak louder than words. It is this principle that is guiding the government to share this collective responsibility of keeping peace in the former Yugoslavia.
My colleagues on this side of the House have mentioned lack of resources. That should not deter the government from taking firm action on this matter. It is our contribution in maintaining world peace.
I support the government's position to do its share of bringing peace to this central European region. A time period of 12 months for this peacekeeping initiative does not seem to be far fetched. There is speculation it could extend to more. We cannot work on speculation and other unreasonable suppositions.
As regard the competence and the ability of the Canadian defence forces, they are among the best in the world. As the saying goes, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. It will be a test of professionalism for our fine men and women of the Canadian forces once again under trying conditions. We cannot leave the question of keeping world peace to the regional countries and communities because the world has become a global community.
Events happening in one part of the world cannot be ignored as regional skirmishes not worthy of serious consideration by those who are not immediately affected by them either directly or indirectly like our country here.
World security is a collective responsibility of each and every member of the international community. It is more so for Canada because we are a respected and influential member of this community. I see no reason why we should take a back seat to any other country in bringing peace to the Balkan region by participating in this noble cause.
Finally, this is an important initiative that I am sure will have the support of all Canadians. We have to support this initiative without any hesitation.