OTTAWA, Dec. 24, 2019 /CNW/ – Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada, visited with members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) deployed in Latvia and Romania as part of Operation REASSURANCE, from December 22 to 23, 2019.

Accompanied by General Jonathan Vance, Chief of the Defence Staff, the Governor General was able to show her support for and witness the work being done by the troops. She also met with the Minister of Defense of Latvia, Mr. Artis Pabriks, and Mr. Kevin Hamilton, Ambassador of Canada to Romania.

In a holiday statement to the members of the Canadian Armed Forces and Foreign Service, the Governor General thanked those who are far from home during the holiday season:  “Diplomacy — including defence and operational diplomacy — can be an exacting exercise in today’s increasingly complex world. Personnel deployed overseas live their lives around service and engagement, often under demanding constraints on the family, sometimes at significant risks, and always away from home.” 

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Images from this visit are available on the Governor General’s website.

Additional facts:

• Understanding the sacrifice and commitment that comes with serving our country, the Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada regularly visits military establishments across the country and abroad.
• This is the Governor General’s third visit to the region since the beginning of her mandate. Her Excellency was most recently in the Baltic region for a visit to Lithuania from November 24 to 26, 2019, and Estonia from November 26 to 28, 2019, underlying Canada’s deep-rooted partnership with both countries.
• In January 2018, the Governor General also met with Canadian military personnel deployed as part of Operation UNIFIER in Ukraine and Operation REASSURANCE in Latvia.
• The Governor General has also visited military personnel across the country, including 5th Canadian Division Support Base (5 CDSB) Gagetown, 12 Wing Shearwater, CFB Esquimalt, CFB 17 Wing Winnipeg, CFB 15 Wing Moose Jaw, Joint Task Force (North) and 5 Wing Goose Bay.

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SOURCE Governor General of Canada