Shawn Graham
Premier of New Brunswick

Dear friends from the international Francophonie,

I join my counterparts from Québec and Canada in welcoming you to the official site of the twelfth Francophonie Summit.

In October 2008, the governments of countries sharing the use of French will meet in Québec City to discuss issues of global concern and those specific to the Francophonie. Those discussions will help to identify strategic directions that will enable the International Organization of the Francophonie (OIF) to evaluate its action and develop programs and initiatives that will help it attain the objectives of its ten-year strategic plan in a constantly changing world.

New Brunswick is privileged to have a seat on the OIF, and ever since our province joined the organization in 1977, our commitment to the Francophonie has been unwavering. Indeed, that commitment on the part of all New Brunswickers has grown significantly since the eighth Summit was held in Moncton in 1999. Cooperation and partnership between our institutions, organizations, and citizens have grown stronger, leading to actions that benefit all the partners.

The Francophonie offers us many opportunities to showcase the vitality and expertise of our province, and especially our Francophone and Acadian communities, on the international scene. To ensure tangible, meaningful results, we have targeted our actions toward the Youth, Education, Vocational and Technical Training, and Information Technology sectors.

Our participation in the international Francophonie is in line with our social and economic development objectives for the province, and we are firmly committed to promoting the values of the Francophonie at home and around the world. We are pleased and proud to be working with the governments of Canada and Québec to make the twelfth Francophonie Summit a complete success.

I look forward to seeing you in Québec City in October 2008.