Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I have the honour to present a petition signed by over 100 individuals from the Ottawa-Gatineau area who are members of the St. Leopold Mandic Croatian Church, Croatian S.C. Jadran and the Croatian Folklore Ensemble “Croatoan” .
The petitioners strongly urge the government to adopt my motion, Motion No. 247, and lift visitor visa restrictions on Croatia. The days of the Iron Curtain have ended. Croatia is on the way to joining the European Union, is on its way to joining NATO and is standing shoulder to shoulder with Canadian armed forces in Afghanistan and with our partners in other NATO-led missions.
It is time for Canada to follow the example of Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom and lift visitor visa requirements for Croatia.