Canadian Consul General Martin Loken, who serves as Canada’s senior representative in several states of the Upper Midwest, will deliver Carleton College’s weekly convocation address on Fri., Oct. 21 at 10:50 a.m. in the Skinner Memorial Chapel. In his presentation, entitled “Canada, Minnesota, and the United States: A Vital Partnership,” Loken will argue that the United States has never had a more important ally than Canada. This event is free and open to the public.
Canada and the United States have long enjoyed peaceful relations that are not only peaceful, marked by a close alliance and great cultural commonalities. More than $1 million in goods and services cross the US-Canada border every minute of every day. Over the past three years, trade between Canada and the states in which Loken works -- Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, and the Dakotas –- was worth $28.8 billion dollars per year, supporting over 340,000 American jobs; Canada is also the top export customer for each of these states. Additionally, Canada is the largest foreign supplier of oil, natural gas, electricity, and uranium to the United States.
As Consul General, Loken works to maximize opportunities for Canadian companies to build mutually beneficial trade, investment, and technology partnerships in the five-state region for which he is responsible. He also attempts to build relationships with American decision-makers and promote Canadian culture and the study of Canada. Loken has a distinguished career in the Canadian foreign service; he has served at the Canadian Embassy in Prague and at its Permanent Mission to the World Trade Organization and the United Nations in Geneva. He has worked on major trade negotiations, including serving as Deputy Chief Negotiator for free trade talks with Colombia, Peru, and the European Free Trade Association; Chief Negotiator for talks with the Dominican Republic; and Deputy Coordinator for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). For more information about Loken, visit www.canadainternational.gc.ca/.
For more information or disability accommodations, contact kraadt@carleton.edu. The Skinner Memorial Chapel is located on First Street, between the corners of College and Winona Streets in Northfield.
