Governor General to Undertake a State Visit to Mongolia

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Oct 16, 2013) - At the request of the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada, Their Excellencies the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, and Mrs. Sharon Johnston will conduct a State visit to Mongolia, fromOctober 24 to 26, 2013.

All timings indicated are in local time zone (Ulaanbaatar Time - UTC/GMT +08:00)

STATE VISIT TO MONGOLIA

Ulaanbaatar

Thursday, October 24

10:15 p.m.

Arrival in Ulaanbaatar

Upon their arrival in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, Their Excellencies and the Canadian delegation will be welcomed by Mr. Luvsanvandan Bold, Mongolian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Mr. Greg Goldhawk, Ambassador of Canada to Mongolia.

As part of Mongolian protocol, Their Excellencies will be offered a hadag, a traditional practice where the guests of honour are presented with a blue silk scarf and a silver bowl containing a dairy product.

Chinggis Khaan International Airport

PHOTO OP

Ulaanbaatar

Friday, October 25

10 a.m.

Official Welcoming Ceremony

Their Excellencies will be officially welcomed by His Excellency Tsahia Elbegdorj, President of Mongolia, and his spouse. Both of them will be presented with flower bouquets by young girls in traditional dress, after which the Governor General will inspect the military guard of honour.

Chinggis Khaan Square

OPEN TO MEDIA

10:15 a.m.

Official Guestbook Signing Ceremony

His Excellency will be invited to sign the official guestbook, prior to his tête-à-tête with the President.

State History Museum Hall, State Palace

OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHERS ONLY

10:20 a.m.

Meeting with the President of Mongolia in the State Ger

During this ceremonial meeting, the Governor General will have the opportunity to discuss Canada and Mongolia's strong bilateral relations with the President. The meeting in the State Ger is an important part of Mongolian protocol and draws its origins from traditional hospitality offered between senior leaders.

State Ger, 5th floor, State Palace

OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHERS AND POOLED MEDIA ONLY

10:20 a.m.

Meeting between the First Lady of Mongolia and Her Excellency Sharon Johnston

Her Excellency will meet with Her Excellency Khajidsuren Bolormaa, First Lady of Mongolia, to discuss their mutual interests.

State Palace

PHOTO OP - At the beginning of the meeting

10:40 a.m.

Expanded Meeting with the President of Mongolia

An expanded meeting with the official and accompanying delegations will take place following the meeting. It will highlight Canada's numerous partnerships with Mongolia and focus on prosperity, peace and security.

Hall A, 3rd floor, State Palace

PHOTO OP - At the beginning of the meeting

11:30 a.m.

Signing Ceremony and Media Statements

On the occasion of the Governor General's State visit and the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Canada and Mongolia, a number of agreements and announcements between both countries will be witnessed by His Excellency.

State Honorary Ceremony Hall, 3rd floor, State Palace

PHOTO OP - Signing ceremony

MEDIA AVAILABILITY - Following the signing ceremony, the Governor General and the President will deliver media statements and answer questions from members of the media.

12 p.m.

Meeting with the Speaker of the State Great Khural

His Excellency will meet with His Excellency Zandaakhuu Enkhbold, Speaker of the State Great Khural, to discuss new ways to strengthen Canada and Mongolia's increasingly diverse relationship.

Official Meeting Room, 3rd floor, State Palace

PHOTO OP - At the beginning of the meeting

12:30 p.m.

Address to the State Great Khural

During a special ceremonial session, His Excellency will deliver an address before the State Great Khural to acknowledge the 40th anniversary of Canada-Mongolia diplomatic relations as an important milestone in the evolving and strengthening relationship between both countries. The State Great Khural is the supreme legislative body in Mongolia's unicameral Parliament. It is composed of 76 members elected according to a mixed-member proportional system adopted in 2011.

Khural Chamber, State Palace

OPEN TO MEDIA

2:30 p.m.

Visit to the Children of the Peak Sanctuary by Her Excellency Sharon Johnston

Her Excellency will visit a development aid project founded by a Canadian organization and aimed at helping vulnerable children in Ulaanbaatar. Accompanied by Ms. Julie Veloo, Vice-President of the Veloo Foundation, Her Excellency will tour the facilities and participate in reading and craft activities with children attending the kindergarten class.

The Children of the Peak Sanctuary primarily supports 40 children from underprivileged families that have recently migrated from rural areas to Ulaanbaatar. The goal is to advance the children's social, intellectual and physical development through various activities, including group play, educational games, and lessons in nutrition, basic hygiene and English. For more information, visitwww.veloofoundation.com.

Ger district, Tolgoit Site

OPEN TO MEDIA

3 p.m.

Round-table Discussion on Education

Ahead of the first-ever Canadian Education Fair in Mongolia (October 27-29, 2013), His Excellency will participate in an education round table with Canadian academics and Mongolian stakeholders. The discussion will be moderated by Mr. Jargalsaikhan Dambadarjaa, a well-known Mongolian figure. The participants will discuss how they can further Canada-Mongolia collaborations in the field of educational development and work across borders to better share their knowledge.

Soyombo 1 Room, 5th floor, Best Western Tuushin Hotel

OPEN TO MEDIA - Opening remarks

6 p.m.

State Dinner Hosted by the President of Mongolia

In honour of Their Excellencies' visit to the country, the President will host a State dinner.

Dining Room, Ground floor, Khan-Uul Palace

OPEN TO MEDIA - Opening remarks

Ulaanbaatar

Saturday, October 26

8 a.m.

Visit to a Rural School Dormitory and Meeting with a Herder Family by Her Excellency Sharon Johnston

Her Excellency will journey to Erdene County, outside of Ulaanbaatar, to highlight a Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) project and to familiarize herself with the customary way of life in rural Mongolia.

On her first stop, Her Excellency will visit a school dormitory that was rehabilitated with CFLI support and currently houses 141 children from herder families studying at the local school. There, she will have the opportunity to attend a performance offered by the children and meet with school officials. The second stop will bring Her Excellency to a herder family's winter station, where she will be able to learn more about their daily life and experience their culture.

Erdene County, Tuv Province

OPEN TO MEDIA

9 a.m.

Breakfast with Business Leaders

His Excellency will promote Canada's investment interests and commercial collaboration at a business networking breakfast with Canadian business leaders. Together, they will explore how Canada can continue to contribute to Mongolia's prosperity and democratic development.

Monet Restaurant, 17th floor, Central Tower

OPEN TO MEDIA - Opening remarks

1:30 p.m.

Round-table Discussion with Women Parliamentarians
Their Excellencies and members of the accompanying delegation will meet with women parliamentarians who are taking on a stronger leadership role in Mongolia. Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada is supporting this goal through an initiative that provides technical expertise to increase the effectiveness and visibility of women in Parliament. The round-table participants will also discuss the successes and challenges of women in the public service.

Soyombo 1 Room, 5th floor, Best Western Tuushin Hotel

OPEN TO MEDIA - Closing remarks and group photo

3 p.m.

Meeting with the Prime Minister of Mongolia

His Excellency will meet with His Excellency Norovyn Altankhuyag, Prime Minister of Mongolia, to build rapport with the new Mongolian government.

Suld A Room, 4th floor, Best Western Tuushin Hotel

PHOTO OP - At the beginning of the meeting

4 p.m.

Friends of Canada Reception

On the occasion of his visit to Ulaanbaatar, the Governor General will offer short remarks and present State visit medallions to individuals for their continued and exceptional service in promoting and enhancing the Canada-Mongolia relationship.

Soyombo 1 Room, 5th floor, Best Western Tuushin Hotel

OPEN TO MEDIA - Remarks and medallion presentation

5:15 p.m.

Farewell Courtesy Meeting with the President of Mongolia

Their Excellencies will meet with the President and First Lady of Mongolia to thank them for their hospitality and discuss the successes and key outcomes of the State visit.

Marshall Palace

OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHERS ONLY

Visits abroad by a governor general play an important role in Canada's relations with other countries. They are highly valuable as they help broaden bilateral relations and exchanges among peoples.

Members of the public can follow the Governor General's State visit to Mongolia online atwww.gg.ca, where speeches, photos and videos will be posted.

This itinerary is subject to change without notice.

To obtain the latest updates, please visit www.gg.ca.

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Contact:
Marie-Pierre Belanger
Rideau Hall Press Office
marie-pierre.belanger@gg.ca

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