President Caputova Welcomed in Ottawa by Deputy Governor-General Karakatsanis
President Zuzana Caputova was welcomed in Ottawa on Tuesday by Deputy Governor-General and Canadian Supreme Court judge Andromache Karakatsanis. She substituted for Governor-General of Canada Mary Simon who could not attend the ceremony due to health issues.
Ottawa, January 30 (TASR-correspondent) - President Zuzana Caputova was welcomed in Ottawa on Tuesday by Deputy Governor-General and Canadian Supreme Court judge Andromache Karakatsanis. She substituted for Governor-General of Canada Mary Simon who could not attend the ceremony due to health issues.
The welcome ceremony, including military honours, was held at the governor-general's residence, Rideau Hall. They symbolically planted a tree in the garden of the residence.
"We are strong friends, partners and allies, but we also share the same priorities, such as the protection of human and democratic rights, climate protection. Our relations are very good, constructive, without any burden. I see the potential for deepening our cooperation, for example, in the field of economy," said Caputova. The two officials will discuss security challenges and respect for international rules.
Karakatsanis in her speech pointed to the fact that there are more than 68,000 Canadians of Slovak origin living in her country. According to her, a lot of them immigrated to Canada after the occupation in then Czechoslovakia in 1968. "They found a shelter and home in Canada. Since then they and their descendants have played an important role in contributing to Canada's diversity and strength," noted the deputy governor-general.
According to Karakatsanis, Canada and Slovakia have close relations based on strong ties. "As NATO members we share a common interest in peace and security and we are jointly working on achieving this goal. For example, our forces are proudly serving side by side in Latvia, which is a big evidence of our commitment to deter and defend NATO's eastern flank," stated Karakatsanis. At the same time, the two countries continue to build stronger trade relations, are determined to tackle climate change and explore sustainable energy sources, she added.
The Slovak president is also scheduled to meet Canadian Premier Justin Trudeau at a state dinner on Tuesday.
