Honourable senators, this past weekend, in the company of a few colleagues from this chamber, I again had the good fortune to participate in the Halifax International Security Forum.

Founded in 2009, this important annual conference brings together parliamentarians and defence, security and foreign policy experts from around the world.

The Honourable Peter MacKay, during his tenure as Minister of National Defence and as a proud Nova Scotian, was instrumental in the establishment of the forum as a venue for policy discussions on this side of the Atlantic to complement and augment similar efforts in Europe in particular.

The forum continues to enjoy the strong support of Canada’s Minister of National Defence and his department, including the Canadian Armed Forces and the Chief of the Defence Staff. Indeed, both Minister Bill Blair and General Jennie Carignan were present and very active last weekend. They were joined this year by our Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly.

I have attended in various capacities over the years. This year, I was pleased to chair a discussion on Arctic security, an issue that was the subject of a comprehensive study released in June 2023 by the Standing Senate Committee on National Security, Defence and Veterans Affairs.

I was honoured to join our colleagues Senators Boniface, Kutcher and Patterson for a meeting with Ruslan Stefanchuk, Chairman of Ukraine’s Parliament, the Verkhovna Rada. Joined by Senator David Wells, we also met with Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Defense for European Integration Sergiy Boyev.

My own most moving moment was to embrace my friend the recently freed Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza and his devoted and courageous spouse, Evgenia, whom I had first met at a previous edition of the forum.

His release from a prison in Siberia, brokered by the United States in a multi-country effort prisoner exchange, not only liberated one of the most important and articulate Russian opposition voices but also reunited a brave man with his loving family.

Colleagues, the topics addressed at the forum this year included expectations regarding the incoming second Trump administration, how to achieve victory in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, reduction of tensions in the Taiwan Strait and the ongoing challenges presented by artificial intelligence.

The Halifax International Security Forum has become the premier forum and gathering for international security discussions in the western hemisphere. The participation of Canadian parliamentarians is therefore vital so we, too, can learn and make our mark.

I was honoured to participate again this year as a parliamentarian along with several of our colleagues. Thank you.