VIENNA, AUSTRIA – David Tilson, Member of Parliament for Dufferin-Caledon and President of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association, is leading a Canadian delegation to Vienna, Austria this week to meet with Members of the European Parliament to discuss matters of mutual interest to Canada and the European Union.

“Meeting with our counterparts from the European Union is vital to Canada’s interests,” stated Mr. Tilson. “Maintaining strong ties with our allies in Europe is more important than ever, especially given the current turmoil affecting North Africa and the Middle East.”

Mr. Tilson is addressing EU Parliamentarians as part of meetings at the headquarters of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, of which Canada is a member. Mr. Tilson is speaking specifically on immigration, maternal & child health and human trafficking. The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada and the EU will also be part of the discussions.

“As we continue with negotiations on the Canada-Europe free trade agreement, it’s important that we, as elected Parliamentarians, get a clear sense of where each side stands,” said Mr. Tilson.

Canada is a founding member of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe which comprises 56 participating States from Europe, North America and Eurasia; in other words the vast area "from Vancouver to Vladivostok”. Another 12 countries are Partners for Cooperation, including Afghanistan, Israel, Japan and Australia. The OSCE is the primary instrument for early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation in the region. It provides an important security forum for dialogue, peer review and confidence-building. OSCE institutions and Field Missions help build capacity and stability through their work on democracy, human rights, tolerance and good governance.