Ottawa, Ontario - David Tilson, Member of Parliament for Dufferin-Caledon, met with His Excellency, Kaoru Ishikawa, Ambassador of Japan, on November 02, 2010, in his Ottawa office. Ambassador Ishikawa has been the Japanese representative to Canada for approximately two months.
During their meeting, Mr. Tilson and Ambassador Ishikawa discussed many bilateral issues including:
- the impending Canada-Europe Free Trade Agreement and its impact on both Canada and Japan;
- Japan’s aim for observer status at the Committee of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region;
- Bill C-49 (Preventing Human Smugglers from Abusing Canada’s Immigration System Act) and the need for Canada to continue to offer protection to legitimate refugee claimants and the problem of transnational organized crime, as it relates to human smuggling;
- Canada’s role as a stable partner in helping to promote human rights and democracy in China;
- the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit and Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s anticipated participation;
- Japan’s presence in Dufferin-Caledon and the GTA, including Honda’s automotive plant in Alliston, ON; and
- the Hague Convention and Japan’s efforts to resolve the issue of Japanese courts recognizing Canadian court decisions with respect to Canadian divorce and custody decisions.
Following their meeting, Mr. Tilson provided comment on the outcome of his discussions with the Ambassador, “My meeting proved to be most valuable and timely, considering the upcoming APEC Summit and the International Arctic Conference that will be held in Ottawa next month. Furthermore, in my role as President of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association, these issues are currently being discussed by the Association and His Excellency’s comments provided helpful insight and perspective.”
