June 15, 2000
Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Jean Chrétien today announced that he will make an official visit to France from June 21 to 24. The Prime Minister will then travel to Portugal to attend the Canada-European Union Summit on June 26.

On June 22 the Prime Minister will meet with President Jacques Chirac and Prime Minister Lionel Jospin. While in Paris, he will witness the signing of an agreement between the Canadian Space Agency and the European Space Agency. Prime Minister Chrétien will also meet with Boutros Boutros Ghali, Secretary General of La Francophonie.

On Friday June 23, the Prime Minister will visit the Headquarters of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), then inaugurate a Chair in Canadian Studies at the Université de la Sorbonne. He will also attend official ceremonies in Tourouvre and Mortagne, in the Perche region of France.

Over the weekend, the Prime Minister will go to Versailles for a tree planting ceremony in remembrance of the December 1999 storm which has devastated many regions of France. He will then leave for Lisbon, Portugal.

On Monday, June 26, Prime Minister Chrétien will attend the Canada-European Union Summit in Lisbon, Portugal. Discussions will centre on the development of cooperation between Canada and European Union in various fields, such as trade, security and conflict prevention. The Prime Minister will also have a private meeting with the President of Portugal, Jorge Sampaio.

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