Lögberg-Heimskringla - 03.12.2004, Page 2

2 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • Friday 3 December 2004
SL,
On a mission
in Iceland
The relations between Canada and lceland are
very positive and have strengthened since each
country opened an embassy in the other in 2001.
Steinþór Guðbjartsson met Richard Tétu,
Canada’s Ambassador to lceland, in Reykjavík.
Richard Tetu replaced Ger-
ald Skinner in the summer
of 2003 and his first duty
was to get involved in the visit of
Governor General Adrienne
Clarkson to Iceland in October
that year. Since then the ties have
been strengthened every day.
“We try to interest more Icelandic
investors to invest in Canada as
much as we can,” he says about
trade between Canada and Ice-
land. “We also try to get as many
trade missions from Canada to
Iceland as possible.”
Cooperation in different fields
Iceland and Canada work
closely together in the framework
of the Artic Council, a body com-
prising Canada, Denmark, Fin-
land, Iceland, Norway, Russia,
Sweden, and the United States,
and a recent study, the Arctic Cli-
mate Impact Assessment
(ACIA), concems both countries.
“The recent visit of Ólafur
Ragnar Grímsson, the President
of Iceland, to Yellowknife in
Canada because of the third
Northem Research Fomm where
Governor General Adrienne
Clarkson delivered the keynote
address, is a sign of this coopera-
tion,” Richard Tétu says.
The ambassador points out
that Iceland and Canada even
work together in Afghanistan.
“Icelanders look after the airport
in Kabul and Canadians con-
tribute troops there,” he says.
According to Richard Tétu,
discussions between the two
countries regarding a memoran-
dum of understanding on the
exchange of youth continue. “I
think that is a very important
thing that we should pursue,” he
says. “We should facilitate the
movement of young people
between the two countries and
PHOTO: STEINÞÓR GUÐBJARTSSON
Eric Stefanson and Kris Stefanson visited Richard Tétu at the Canadian embassy in Reykjavík
during their recent visit to Iceland.
mainly encourage student
exchanges and youth exchanges
as a whole.”
Some Canadian universities
have worked closely with Ice-
landic universities and recently
the University of Guelph in
Ontario and Hólar College in Ice-
land announced the creation of a
new institute aimed at enhancing
and promoting collaboration with
Iceland’s institutions of higher
Ieaming. “I was very supportive
of the cooperation of Icelandic
institutions with the Guelph Uni-
versity,” Richard Tétu says.
The cultural aspect has
played a big role in the works of
the Canadian Embassy in Ice-
land. The movie The Barharian
Invasions was premiered and
supported by the embassy.
Recently the embassy hosted
writer Arthur Slade from
Saskatchewan who has, among
other things, written three novels,
Draugr, the Haunting of Drang
Island, and The Loki Wolf, based
on old Icelandic folktales and
Viking myths.
“We have also been very
supportive of the Snorri Pro-
gram,” Richard Tétu says, and
adds that the embassy is open to
all kinds of cultural exchanges.
Recently Canadian ftlmmakers
Guy Maddin and Sturla Gunnars-
son participated in the Reykjavík
Film Festival and presented their
fílms because of the ambas-
sador’s active support in bringing
them to Iceland. “The event had a
lot of coverage here,” he says.
Icelandic two hours a week
Five people work in the
Canadian Embassy. The ambas-
sador works long hours but he
tries to attend everything that
goes on in Iceland regarding rela-
tions between Iceland and Cana-
da such as the functions of the
Canadian Club of Iceland and the
AGM of the INL of Iceland.
He also studies Icelandic and
is making some progress. “I get
two hours of teaching a week and
I make sure that I use the expres-
sions I leam. Góða helgi.”
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