Mr. Speaker, on June 12, 1942, in London, the Soviet Union's ambassador to the U.K. and Canada's high commissioner to Great Britain ratified the agreement confirming the official establishment of diplomatic relations between the U.S.S.R. and Canada.
Sixty years after its ratification, this agreement still stands as the most tangible manifestation of the special ties forever linking these two countries.
For 60 years the relations between Canada and Russia reflected the general evolution of global diplomatic relations: sometimes warm and friendly, sometimes strained. Therefore, we can define the principal stages of these relations as a close alliance during the second world war, carefulness during the cold war, and the optimism of the present.
Today, however, we can say that the ties between the new Russia and Canada are much more stable and regular.
Since 1991, relations have intensified and trust between the two countries is now recognized.
The new impetus of our friendship gave Canada an opportunity to play a prominent part in the acceptance of the Russian federation into the G-8 select club. This was also expressed during President Putin's visit to Canada in December 2000 and the Canadian Prime Minister's--