Greetings from the Canadian Ambassador,  Jon Allen

The Israel-Canada Chamber of Commerce is a central element of our network for promoting bilateral trade and investment. I both congratulate and thank the Executive and members of the Chamber for your various initiatives in this regard. It is an honor to be Canada’s Ambassador to Israel and to be part of your team.

My first five months here could not have been more interesting and active. The Canadian Government, led by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, has demonstrated by word and deed its commitment to the existence and security of Israel. These sentiments and a desire to further enhance bilateral relations were recently confirmed during the visit of Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay. Our commercial relations are a fundamental element of our relationship. I am impressed with the level of sophistication of our two-way trade, investment and industrial cooperation. I am also convinced that by building on the excellent political will that exists today, and on the enthusiasm of our dynamic private sectors, we can do much better.

This year, 2007, marks the 10^th Anniversary of the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement (CIFTA). Since the agreement came into effect in 1997, our bilateral trade has more than doubled to a record level of CAD$1.24 billion. The Canada-Israel Industrial Co-operation Agreement (CIIRDF) is a model instrument for industrial collaboration and is supported at the highest levels of our two governments. I strongly support increased activity by our companies in research and development, under the auspices of this important vehicle of collaboration. I also hope to promote new activities under the Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation between our space industries that was signed in March 2005.

Canada’s philanthropic contribution to Israel also is profound. Canadians have long provided strong support for world class Israeli institutions such as Technion, the Weizman Institute, KKL and various universities. On the academic front, under the auspices of the Israeli Association of Canadian Studies, we are supporting an in-depth exchange among academics and professionals in all fields of higher learning. Some of these activities will lead to increased economic ties.

I also want to highlight the importance of the direct Toronto - Tel Aviv air link that facilitates connecting business, family and friends between our two countries.

Each of these elements provide a solid basis for our commercial and economic relations and I am committed to working with you to build upon these over the coming years.

Jon Allen