Delegation from the Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians Visits MONTSAME National News Agency
SocietyUlaanbaatar, September 24, 2024
/MONTSAME/. A delegation from the Canadian Association of Former
Parliamentarians (CAFP) visited MONTSAME Mongolian National News Agency, the
official and reliable source of Government news and the national news agency
that promotes Mongolia to the world.
The CAFP is a non-profit
organization formed by the Act of the Parliament of Canada and consists of
former parliamentarians of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada. The CAFP
members visit countries to get acquainted with and this time a large delegation
of the CAFP is visiting Mongolia on September
18-23, 2024, during which holding meetings with social and political leaders,
scholars, researchers, archeologists, historians, students, and the youth in
Mongolia.
The
CAFP delegation included Dr. Jean Augustine, former Parliamentary Secretary to
the Prime Minister, Minister of Culturalism and the Status of Women, and Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Kenneth
Boshcoff, former Critic for Industry, Chair of Status of Persons with
Disabilities of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills Development,
Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, Dorothy Dobbie,
former Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment, Consumer and Corporate
Affairs and Northern Development, Chungsen Leung, former Parliamentary
Secretary for Multiculturalism and Deputy Chair of the Canada-Taiwan
Parliamentary Friendship Group, Yasmin Ratansi, former Deputy Whip of the
Liberal Party and Chair of the Canada-Mongolia Parliamentary Friendship Group,
and Bryon Wilfert, present Secretary of the CAFP, Honorary Consul of Mongolia
in Toronto and former Member of the Parliament.
The CAFP
delegation visited Ulaanbaatar on September 18-23, 2024, during which, they
held meetings with socio-economic leaders, scholars and researchers,
archeologists and historians, and students and the youth in Mongolia.
Director-General
of MONTSAME Mongolian National News Agency Sodontogos Erdenetsogt expressed
gratitude for visiting MONTSAME National News Agency during their tour to
Mongolia to witness the country from close up and learn deeply about the Mongolians
and introduced the history and operations of the Agency to the esteemed guests.
The meeting participants
conducted an interesting conversation on Mongolia, the great history and
culture of the Mongols, in particular, the Mongolian language and the Mongol
script, the only vertical script in the world, which has been inherited from
ancient times, as well as abundant collections of works written in it. Also,
Mrs. Sodontogos presented publications, magazines, and various productions produced
by MONTSAME for international readers and viewers.
Honorary Consul of Mongolia in Toronto and former Member of the
Parliament Bryon Wilfert noted that the CAFP is planning to organize a
“Mongolia Days” event at Toronto University in October 2024, and underlined the
goal to establish a Department of Mongolian Language at the Toronto University as
the interest of Canadian students to study Mongolia highly grows, when they embark
on a journey of discovering the country.
Honorary Consul
Bryon Wilfert highlighted the meeting with Mongolian students and youth,
saying, “The Mongolian youth have a bright outlook on the future and an earnest
drive to contribute to the development of their country. Meeting with the young
people with amazing enthusiasm and admirable energy left a strong impression on
us.” Mr. Bryon Wiltfert noted that aside from mining cooperation between
Mongolia and Canada, there is huge potential for collaborating in
small-to-medium-sized manufacturing, education, arts and culture, and media,
and expressed a sincere willingness to realize the potential. Honorary Consul
Bryon Wilfert underlined the importance of people-to-people relations and between
institutions in strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two countries
and expressed readiness to give all-round support to connect the MONTSAME
National News Agency of Mongolia with similar organizations in Canada for
cooperation.
The CAFP
delegation is scheduled to travel to the Gobi region of Mongolia.
In addition to its regular operation, the CAFP founded an Education Fund
to strengthen democracy and good governance in Canada and abroad. The CAFP
annually grants the “Distinguished Service Award” to former parliamentarians
who made valuable contributions to the country and democratic institutions.