Mr. Speaker, on the occasion of the 56th anniversary of the proclamation of the independence of Lebanon, as the chair of the Lebanon-Canada parliamentary friendship group, I would like to express my solidarity with Lebanon, a friend of Canada.
Specifically, I would like to mention that Lebanon deserves all our support in its economic, social and institutional reconstruction efforts.
It also deserves our support in its efforts to reclaim its unity and complete freedom over all of its territory, through, among other things, the implementation of UN resolution 425 calling for the unconditional withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from south Lebanon.
Our best wishes go especially to the large Lebanese Canadian community that has enriched Canadian society with its dynamism and its joie de vivre.