During an hour and forty minutes, the Head of State explained the progress of Colombia defending human and labor rights, as well as protecting trade union members and fighting against drug trafficking and terrorism. Canadian Parliament members labeled the meeting as an ‘unprecedented’ dialogue, because is the first time that a President goes to an informal session of the International Trade Committee.

Ottawa, Canada, June 11 (SP). The President of Colombia, Álvaro Uribe Vélez, held a meeting this Thursday with members of the International Trade Committee of the Canadian Parliament, during an informal session in the offices of that institution.
The meeting was supposed to last an hour, but it was forty minutes longer.

The Vice President of the Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, John Cannis, led the session where every deputy asked questions to the Colombian Leader.

“Be here with you and answer your questions it’s a great opportunity for us. This is an opportunity for our democracy”, President Uribe said to the Committee.

During the session, the Head of State presented Colombia’s advances in terms of human rights and protection of trade unionists to the Parliament, as well as its labor achievements and the benefits of a Free Trade Agreement between both countries.

Uribe Vélez also explained the efforts that the country has made in the field of security, which are evident in the reduction of murder and kidnapping rates; reintegration to civil life of former members of illegal armed groups and the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking.

Conservative representative Gerald Keddy thanked the Colombian Leader for going to the Parliament and highlighted that is the first time that a President goes to a session of the Trade Committee.

“I want to thank you for being here. It is something unprecedented. I know that Colombia and your Government are facing challenges. When we visited Colombia, we saw that it was going for the right way. We know that that a Free Trade Agreement will bring better opportunities for your country” representative Keddy expressed.

The meeting was also an opportunity for the Liberal Party to solve its questions related to the trade agreement with Colombia. This is the opposition party of the Government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

President Uribe reiterated that the Free Trade Agreement with Canada will bring not only trade benefits, but also labor guarantees to protect Colombian workers.