Washington

Philippe Couillard in Washington, #QuébecDC40 video, la Fête nationale and more!

Monday, July 9, 2018

Public affairs

Not even the summer heat could slow down the Québec Government Office in Washington this June! A look back on an action-filled month, including the Premier’s Mission, our Fête nationale Reception and a special video to celebrate our 40^th anniversary.

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The Premier holds a press briefing after his meeting with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue

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Meeting with U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross

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The BQW staff at our reception for la Fête nationale

Premier Couillard’s 4^th Mission to Washington
On June 25^th and 26^th, Québec Premier Philippe Couillard visited the American capital for his fourth time in two years. On this mission, the Premier met with influential members of Congress and the Administration. Accompanied by Québec’s Delegate General in New York Jean-Claude Lauzon, BQW Director Frédéric Tremblay, and our Government Affairs Attachée Kirsten Kazlauskas, the Premier headed to Capitol Hill, where he met with nine members of Congress. Premier Couillard also met with two members of the President’s Cabinet: Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. These meetings allowed the Premier to reaffirm Québec’s positions on North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) renegotiations and to express the government’s disagreement with tariffs levied on Québec steel and aluminium. He additionally discussed solutions to overcome these issues with influential members of the American government.

La Fête nationale du Québec and Tributes for the BQW's 40^th
The BQW celebrated la Fête nationale du Québec at a reception with many of our local partners on June 19^th. Once again this year, the fleurdelysé proudly flew in front of the Capitol in honor of la Belle Province. We featured beers from Québec brewery Unibroue and a poutine kiosk! We thank Hydro-Québec and Air Canada for their support.

As celebrate our 40^th anniversary year, several political figures in Washington and in Québec took time to highlight this milestone. In a video montage, the Governor General of Canada and Québec’s former Scientific Envoy in Washington Julie Payette, U.S. Senator from Vermont Patrick Leahy and his wife Marcelle Pomerleau, former Canadian Ambassador to the United States Raymond Chrétien, U.S. Representative from New York’s 21^st District Elsie Stefanik, Canada Institute Director Laura Dawson, Georgetown Professor and former AIÉQ President Miléna Santoro, and Québec’s Minister of International Relations and La Francophonie Christine St-Pierre pay tribute to 40 years of Québec diplomacy in the American capital. #QuébecDC40

Culture on the horizon!
Stay tuned as we will soon be announcing numerous cultural events in the DMV, including our #TwittoTriviaBQW contest to win Canada Now movie tickets!