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Signing of three new agreements with the French Government
June 10, 1996
Ottawa, Ontario
Prime Minister Jean Chrétien together with Prime Minister
Alain Juppé of the French Republic today presided over
a ceremony marking the signature of three France-Canada agreements
in multimedia, sports and mutual legal assistance.
"France and Canada share common interests in a number of
areas. As the agreements signed today attest, we are partners
in strengthening our bilateral relations," said Mr. Chrétien.
Through the first agreement, the two governments will expand their
co-operation to include cultural multimedia, particularly that
of the French language. This agreement calls for the selection
and implementation of co-operation projects in the cultural sector
and for possible talks leading to a co-production agreement on
joint cultural multimedia projects. It was co-signed jointly by
Lucienne Robillard, interim Minister of Canadian Heritage, and
Margie Sudre, Secretary of State responsible for la Francophonie.
Mrs. Robillard also signed, with the French Minister-Delegate
for Youth and Sports, Guy Drut, an inter-departmental agreement
on sports co-operation and exchanges. Along with anti-doping measures,
the agreement provides for exchanges of expertise and personnel
in a wide range of sectors, including sports social policy, the
promotion of sportsmanship, measures to counter violence in sports,
preparation for high-performance sports, and programs for disabled
athletes and women athletes.
Justice Minister Allan Rock and the French Ambassador to Canada,
Alfred Seifer-Gaillardin, signed a treaty on the recognition and
execution of civil and trade decisions, the first of its kind
for Canada with a civil law country. This convention, which will
take effect as soon as the appropriate Canadian laws are passed,
should facilitate the recognition and execution in France of Canadian
court decisions on a number of matters, including family law issues
such as divorce, alimony and child care. Under the convention,
judicial co-operation between Canada and France will be promoted,
and a large number of Canadians will benefit.
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