May 10, 2000
Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Jean Chrétien today announced that the President of Algeria, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, will pay a state visit to Canada, May 14-18, 2000, at the invitation of Governor General Adrienne Clarkson. President Bouteflika will be accompanied by a number of senior government ministers.

"I welcome President Bouteflika’s first visit to Canada as an excellent opportunity to enhance the warm relations between our countries," said the Prime Minister. "Canada and Algeria have had a long history of cooperation, and we look forward to working together with Algeria as it advances its economic and social reform agenda."

In Ottawa, President Bouteflika will meet the Governor General, the Prime Minister, the Speakers of the House of Commons and Senate, leaders of opposition parties and Supreme Court Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin. The President will also meet with the Canada-Algeria Parliamentary Friendship Group.

From May 16-17, President Bouteflika, who is currently President of the Organization of African Unity, will deliver a keynote speech at the Conférence de Montréal, meet with Minister for International Trade Pierre S. Pettigrew and Quebec Deputy Premier Bernard Landry, and visit the Montreal facilities of CAE Electronics. On May 18, President Bouteflika will be in Toronto where he will meet the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Don Boudria, Ontario Lieutenant-Governor Hillary M. Weston, as well as members of the business community. Before his departure from Canada, President Bouteflika will tour the Downsview operations of Bombardier.

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