<html>
<head>
<meta name="Generator" content="Corel WordPerfect 8">
<title>CANADA, SLOVENIA SIGN DOUBLE TAXATION AGREEMENTDURING PETTIGREW TRADE MISSION</title>
</head>
<body text="#000000" link="#0000ff" vlink="#551a8b" alink="#ff0000" bgcolor="#c0c0c0">
<p><font face="Arial"></font><font face="Arial" size="+1"></font><font face="Arial" size="+1"><strong></strong></font><font face="Arial" size="+1"><strong>September 15, 2000 <em>(1:35 p.m. EDT)</em> No. 235</strong></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font face="Arial"></font><font face="Arial" size="+1"><strong>CANADA, SLOVENIA SIGN DOUBLE TAXATION AGREEMENT</strong></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font face="Arial" size="+1"><strong>DURING PETTIGREW TRADE MISSION</strong></font><font face="Arial"></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">International Trade Minister Pierre Pettigrew today in Ljubljana, Slovenia signed a double taxation agreement
with the Republic of Slovenia that will allow business to flourish by ensuring that income earners are not taxed
twice. </font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">The agreement eliminates duplicate taxation of individuals and companies from one country doing business or
earning income in the other. Canada already has double taxation agreements with more than 60 countries. The
agreement complements Canada's efforts to extend such treaties to as many countries as possible, particularly
those with which Canada has -- or expects to have -- significant commercial relations.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">"I am very pleased that we have concluded this agreement. This is a sign of growing economic ties between our
two countries, and a positive step in eliminating barriers to doing business," said Mr. Pettigrew. "The agreement
we have signed today reinforces Canada's commitment to strengthening bilateral trade and investment
relations with the Republic of Slovenia."</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Earlier this month the Slovenian Parliament ratified a social security agreement between Canada and Slovenia.
The agreement will ensure that Canadians working and residing in Slovenia continue to contribute to the
Canada Pension Plan, while not being made to contribute to the Slovenian pension plan, and the reverse for
Slovenian citizens working in Canada. Canada has already ratified the agreement.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">"This agreement is another step on our path to greater bilateral co-operation between our two countries," said
Minister Pettigrew. "I am very pleased to learn that it has been made official."</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">The Minister also had the opportunity to meet with Andrej Bajuk, Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, to
discuss various bilateral and multilateral issues. Minister Pettigrew was in Ljubljana today as part of Canada's
trade delegation to Central Europe.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">This delegation involving 55 representatives from Canadian businesses included representatives from the
<em>Fondation du Patrimoine Historique International</em> (FPHI), a Montreal-based organization. The FPHI presented
the Government of Slovenia with a cheque for $15 000 -- part of its $30 000 donation -- for the restoration of
the medieval village of Stanjel and surrounding Ferrari Gardens in the Karst Region. The village and the
gardens have been designated a heritage site by the Republic of Slovenia. The Council of Europe, which has
established ties with the FPHI, approached the Canadian organization for support for this project, which fits in
with its 1999 to 2000 campaign entitled: Europe: A Common Heritage.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Canada and Slovenia have also signed a memorandum of understanding for technical co-operation between
veterinary officials of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Slovenia that will serve as a basis for the
development of future sanitary protocols.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Ljubljana was the final stop of a trade mission September 10 to15 to expand Canadian business in Central
Europe. The mission also visited Budapest, Hungary, Bratislava, Slovak Republic and Prague, Czech Republic.
Contracts worth $8.15 million were signed and many of the 55 participating business delegates said that they
expect to make deals worth as much as $42.3 million in the near future, as a result of the trade mission.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">For more information about the mission, visit the Team Canada Web site at</font></p>
<p><a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070220181739/http://www.tcm-mec.gc.ca/"><font face="Arial">http://www.tcm-mec.gc.ca</a></font></p>
<p align="CENTER">- 30 -</p>
<p>For further information, media representatives may contact:</p>
<p>Sylvie Bussières</p>
<p>Office of the Minister for International Trade</p>
<p>(613) 992-7332</p>
<p>Media Relations Office</p>
<p>Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade</p>
<p>(613) 995-1874</p>
</body>
</html>
