France and Québec: A shared commitment to preventing road fatalities Road safety knows no borders, and government officials in France and Québec share a commitment to do all they can to prevent road fatalities. Significant efforts have been deployed in this area over the past few years on both sides of the Atlantic. Some of these initiatives fall squarely under the heading of France-Québec cooperation.

Quebecer gets star on Hollywood Walk of Fame Cirque du Soleil President and Co-Founder Guy Laliberté now has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The unveiling ceremony was held on Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles.

Eight young Montrealers at Shanghai World Expo 2010 Eight young Montrealers who are passionate about the environment are currently on a five-week visit to Shanghai, China. The young interns will lend their support to the on-site team to promote Espace Montréal at the Shanghai World Expo 2010 and acquaint visitors with innovations at the Saint Michel Environmental Complex (CESM). The Ministère des Relations internationales provided a $25,000 grant to make their visit possible.

Québec at the Farnborough International Airshow Some 20 Québec-based companies, including Bombardier, Pratt & Whitney Canada, CAE and Bell Helicopter, will be taking part in the Farnborough International Airshow (United Kingdom). Running from July 19-25, 2010, the event is expected to draw 280,000 visitors.

Québec, invitée d’honneur de Bordeaux fête le vin

Québec-Mexico: forging stronger bilateral ties Montréal provided the setting for Premier Jean Charest’s first official meeting with Mexican President Felipe Calderon on May 28 during Mr. Calderon’s two-day visit to Canada. They were joined by Mexico’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Patricia Espinosa, as well as by the Ministers of the Economy, Transport, Communications and Tourism. Pierre Arcand, Quebec’s Minister of International Relations and Minister Responsible for La Francophonie, also attended.

2010 LOJIQ awards Last year, some 4,300 people took part in international youth mobility projects organized by Québec’s International Youth Offices (Les Offices jeunesse internationaux du Québec/LOJIQ). The organization paid tribute to the excellence of 12 such projects at the second edition of the LOJIQ awards ceremony, which was held at the National Assembly on May 25.

Agreement signed with the Academic Agency of La Francophonie In conjunction with the visit of Bernard Cerquiglini, rector of the Academic Agency of La Francophonie (AUF), the Government of Québec recently signed an agreement aimed at fostering and promoting academic cooperation with the AUF in various priority areas, including the rule of law, democracy, the environment and sustainable development. The agreement will make it easier for francophones from around the world to study in Québec.

Climate Group CEO visits Québec On April 15, Premier Jean Charest welcomed the CEO of The Climate Group, Steve Howard. Founded in 2004, The Climate Group is an independent organization based in London that collaborates with multinationals, municipalities and the governments of federated states and regions to combat climate change.

Québec puppeteers win fans in Catalonian capital Québec puppeteers’ creativity and know-how were in the spotlight on March 25 in Barcelona. The exhibition Une Fenêtre ouverte sur les marionnettes du Québec “(“An open window on Québec puppets”), prepared by the Association québécoise des marionnettistes (AQM), opened the premiere edition of the Títelles Objetes Teatre (T•O•T) festival in the Catalonian capital. The premiere edition of the festival drew thousands of visitors of all ages.

Youth cooperation agreement with Mexican state of Jalisco The Office Québec-Amériques pour la jeunesse (OQAJ) and the Instituto Jalisciense de la Juventud (IJJ — Jalisco Youth Institute) recently signed a cooperation agreement concerning the implementation of a joint exchange program for young adults in Québec and the Mexican state of Jalisco.

Québec-Japan culinary exchanges Under an agreement signed in Montréal by the Institut de tourisme et d'hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ) and the All Japan Chefs Association (AJCA), apprentice chefs from Québec will be able to take part in internships in Japan and their Japanese counterparts will have a chance to participate in internships in Québec.

Strengthening Québec-Saxony cooperation At a meeting in Québec City on February 25, Premier Jean Charest and Stanislaw Tillich, Minister-President of the German state of Saxony, agreed to step up bilateral exchanges, particularly in the economic and cultural spheres. Their meeting marked the 20th anniversary of official relations between Québec and Saxony.

Jean Charest in Washington: mission accomplished Premier Jean Charest visited the US capital from February 19-21 as part of a mission undertaken by the Council of the Federation, in conjunction with the winter meeting of the National Governors Association (NGA).

20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child To mark the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, secondary school students in Québec were invited to take part in a writing competition held by the organization Éducaloi. The Ministère des Relations internationales (MRI) contributed to the initiative by awarding a prize to one of the winning authors.

Implementation of Québec’s U.S. Strategy The Minister of International Relations and Minister Responsible for La Francophonie, Pierre Arcand, will be in the United States from February 21 to 25 on his first mission there since the unveiling of the Québec government’s U.S. Strategy. He will travel to Louisiana, Texas and Georgia, three high-growth states which account for an annual trade volume with Québec of nearly $7 billion.

Québec expertise in sustainable winter service for road users The 13th International Winter Road Congress, attended by delegates from over 50 countries, was an opportunity for Québec to highlight its expertise in sustainable winter road service. Held in Québec City, the congress wrapped up on February 11.

Québec more present than ever at Davos On January 29, Premier Jean Charest, accompanied by Minister of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade Clément Gignac, concluded a three-day mission to Davos, Switzerland, during which they participated in the World Economic Forum (WEF).

Copenhagen: Québec enters into multiple alliances Premier Jean Charest and Line Beauchamp, Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks, outlined the initiatives undertaken by Québec at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Climate Group leaders committed to reducing greenhouse gases Québec Premier Jean Charest took the floor during the Climate Leaders Summit convened by The Climate Group on December 15 in Copenhagen. The Summit was the largest meeting of heads of federated states and regions ever held during a Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP). The participants, who also included industry leaders, all agreed on the need to implement a global agreement on climate change.