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The Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Canada), Mrs Rosanna Ure, today (May 23, Canada time) visited Halifax as part of her current series of visits to major Canadian cities to garner support for enhancing Hong Kong-Canada collaboration on medical research and business partnership.
Mrs Ure started the visit by meeting Dr David Rippey, Senior Medical Adviser, and Mr Mahnaz FarhangMehr, Coordinator for Communicable Disease Prevention and Control of the Nova Scotia's Ministry of Health where she updated them on the latest SARS situation in Hong Kong and the effective measures taken by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government to bring the disease under control, resulting in WHO lifting the travel ban against Hong Kong. They discussed and exchanged views on enhanced collaboration between Nova Scotia and Hong Kong in the areas of communicable disease prevention and control.
"Although the province of Nova Scotia is free from SARS, the visit provided me with an excellent opportunity to share Hong Kong's experience with their Ministry of Health. I am glad that we both hold the same view that enhanced international cooperation is the key to the global control of communicable diseases like SARS," said Mrs Ure after the meeting.
"I am greatly encouraged by the positive attitude that the Ministry has shown towards enhancing future exchanges and collaboration to the mutual benefit of Hong Kong and Nova Scotia."
The HKETO Director also met with the Manager of Export Development, Halifax Ministry of Economic Development, Mr Jim Simpson, and the Director of Marketing Research of Greater Halifax Partnership, Mrs Ruth Cunningham, to brief them of the excellent business opportunities available in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta Region despite the short-term impact of SARS.
Mrs Ure was also invited to a reception hosted by the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, the Honourable Myra Freeman, at the Halifax Government House.
Before concluding her visit, Mrs Ure will meet the Halifax Mayor, His Worship Mayor Peter Kelly, tomorrow and attend the National Board Meeting of the Hong Kong Canada Business Association to generate increased co-operation in business and trade between Hong Kong and Canada.
End/Saturday, May 24, 2003
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