CANADA AND FRANCE ISSUE TWO JOINT STATEMENTS AND SIGN NEW AGREEMENTS

May 22, 2003
Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Jean Chrétien today announced that Canada and France have reached new agreements to further existing bilateral cooperation. The Prime Minister and French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin issued two joint statements about cultural diversity and the outcome of their discussions today. They also witnessed the signing of an agreement on youth exchanges and an action plan on science and technology and agreed to conduct a seminar on modernizing management of the public service.

"Today's agreements illustrate the level of development of Canada-France relations, which favour a new kind of exchange and partnership," said the Prime Minister. "Our collaboration is being intensified in areas that are dear to both our countries such as the reform of the state and public service, youth exchanges and science and technology."

The Governments of Canada and France have today:

• agreed to the Canada-France Joint Statement on Cultural Diversity, which highlights the support brought by both countries in developing within UNESCO an international convention, setting clear rules and allowing countries to maintain policies promoting cultural diversity while abiding by international trade rules.
• issued the Canada-France Joint Statement, which outlines the outcome of discussions during Prime Minister Raffarin's visit to Canada in diverse areas, ranging from international politics to bilateral issues.
• signed an agreement about youth exchanges, which will give fresh impetus in the field of youth training and pave the way for new common actions in the priority fields of education and the development of a highly qualified workforce.
• decided to hold a high-level Canada-France seminar in Paris on modernizing management of the public service notably in human resources. Furthermore, the Ecole Nationale d'Administration and the Canadian Centre for Management Development will examine several areas of collaboration in training and advanced learning for senior managers in their respective public services.
• signed an action plan between National Research Council Canada's Industrial Research Assistance Program and France's Agence nationale de valorisation de la Recherche. Under this plan, the two organizations will seek more efficient means to facilitate knowledge and information exchanges and increase technological partnership between small and medium-sized business.

The full text of the Statements are posted on the following website:

http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/canadaeuropa/country_fra_f3-en.asp

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