Hon. Andrew Cardozo: My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate. The government released the national security strategy a week ago, which presents its plan for a sovereign, resilient and prosperous Canada. In your view, what are the main threats we have to be concerned about, especially with regard to Canadian sovereignty?

Hon. Pierre Moreau (Government Representative in the Senate): In an effort to bolster Canada’s sovereignty and national security through the national security strategy, the government will build long-term economic strength through generational domestic investment. The government will develop a dense web of trading relationships to bolster our strategic capabilities, focussing its diplomatic efforts on practical cooperation and partnership that will help Canada influence the course of global events to serve the interests of Canadians.

There is no one specific threat. The government is working on a large scale to ensure that Canadians feel safe and our sovereignty remains untouched.

Senator Cardozo: Thank you, senator.

My supplementary question is with regard to Canada-U.S. relations. The Prime Minister hosted the EU-Canada Summit last week. Can you talk about the issues that are relevant to that and whether that summit helped in terms of our sovereignty and security?

Senator Moreau: The summit was the first step towards negotiations with the European Union, and its scope is still under discussion. It’s part of the government’s strategy to diversify our economy, increase commercial potential for Canadian enterprises and strengthen our general economic situation.