The Icelandic Canadian - 01.08.2001, Page 6

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THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Vol. 56 #3
Editorial
by Svavar Gestsson
Our stay here in Canada during the last
two years has truly been a personal experi-
ence and an adventure from beginning to
the end, for my wife Gudrun Agustsdottir
and I, as well as providing invaluable expe-
rience for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
of Iceland.
Today Iceland is definitely on the radar
screens of many Canadians after the mag-
nificent Millennium Year, 2000. Now
when we leave we are grateful for many
things; for friendships made which we can
cultivate and keep with us for the rest of
our lives.
Saying farewell to you all, I want to
mention three important foreign policy
decisions that have been made, which com-
pletely change the relations between
Iceland and Canada:
1. The Foreign Minster of Iceland and
the Icelandic Parliament have decided to
maintain a presence in Canada by opening
an Icelandic Embassy in Ottawa. Hjalmar
W. Hannesson is the Icelandic Ambassador
to Canada and Helga Bertelsen, who has
been working with me as consular agent in
Winnipeg, will become the secretary in the
Icelandic Embassy.
2. The Government of Iceland has also
decided to keep a high profile presence in
Manitoba. My sucessor has already been
appointed. His name is Eidur Gudnason, a
longtime diplomat, politician and reporter
in Iceland, and his wife is Eyglo
Haraldsdottir, who is a music teacher.
Eidur is an Ambassador by rank and will
serve in Winnipeg as Consul General with
Western Canada as his area of main con-
cern.
3. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
International Trade of Canada has decided
to open a Canadian Embassy in Iceland.
The cornerstones have been laid and
now we will be going on the road that has
already been marked by the Icelandic and
Canadian governments, and has been
developed in the last two years. Thanks to
all those who came to those decisions. I
will especially mention four individuals:
two Icelandic Ministers: Prime Minister
David Oddsson, and the Minister of
Foreign Affairs, Halldor Asgrimsson, and
two Canadians: Lloyd Axworthy former
Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs and
Neil Bardal. These men deserve recogni-
tion for their contribution to these deci-
sions.
Gudrun and I are going to miss you all,
Canadians of Icelandic descent. In addition
to the wonderful friendships we have made
here in Canada, we rejoice over the deci-
sions which were made, and which will
bear fruit in the future here in the Icelandic
community. I just mention the Icelandic
Collection and the Icelandic Department at
the University of Manitoba. And I also
want to mention the New Iceland Heritage
Museum at the monumental Waterfront
Centre Building in Gimli. I could go on
and on and on—but I am not going to.
Gudrun and I are now leaving for
Sweden where I have been appointed the
Icelandic Ambassador to that great coun-
try. We both look very much forward to
working in Sweden.
But at this time I would like to leave
with you some thoughts for the near
future. I would like to touch upon three
things:
1) Number one is the INL convention in
Minneapolis in the year 2002. The first time
such a convention will take place in the
USA. That is a sign of the new times of
broadening the cooperation of the
Icelanders and people of Icelandic decent in
Canada and in the USA. This promises to
be an important opportunity to enhance