Sir John Major, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, to Address
Conference of Montreal - Thursday, June 10, 2010

MONTREAL, May 10 /CNW Telbec/ - The Right Honourable Sir John Major, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party, will be making a rare visit to Canada to participate in the closing keynote session of the Conference of Montreal on Thursday, June 10, 2010 at 12:00pm.

Sir Major will address a series of topics related to the current situation in Europe, including the fiscal crisis affecting Greece, Portugal and Spain and the potential repercussions for European integration, including the Euro. Sir Major is also expected to give commentary on the results of the May 6 United Kingdom general elections and their ramifications on the region's future.

"Sir John Major's visit to the Conference of Montreal will be an exciting opportunity to hear from a statesman who has served as Cabinet Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor of the Exchequer and, of course, Prime Minister during periods of fiscal instability and recovery in Europe. At this critical time for the continent, his remarks will be especially pertinent," said Gil Rémillard, Founding Chairman of the Conference of Montreal.

Wednesday, June 9 - Paul Volcker, Bernard Kouchner and Masahiro Kawai

Conference sessions on Wednesday, June 9 will focus on International Trade and the Americas, including economic and political issues affecting various global regions.

Session highlights will include Business Responses to Free Trade in Asia (10:15 a.m.), in which Masahiro Kawai, Dean of the Asian Development Bank Institute and other notable panellists will address the latest developments in Asian trade negotiations and their impact on the region's economy. Approximately 50 free trade agreements are in effect in Asia, with the potential for large cross-regional trade agreements involving North America and Canada as well as the European Union. Are these agreements putting the region at risk? How are business actors responding to emerging opportunities?

Simultaneous Conference sessions on Wednesday morning will tackle economic and political issues in Latin American and developing countries.

The lunchtime (12 noon) session on Wednesday, June 9 will feature Paul Volcker, Chairman of the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board and Former Chairman of the Federal Reserve (United States) and Bernard Kouchner, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs (France), in consecutive sessions themed "Economic Recovery: Exit Strategies" and "A World Remapped." Paul Volcker's Conference address will draw on his experience as the leader of the Federal Reserve during the end of the United States stagflation crisis of the 1970s, as well as his current role as President Obama's economic recovery advisor. Bernard Kouchner's address will be an opportunity to hear from a diplomat representing a G8 country prior to the highly-anticipated G8 Summit in June, and he is also expected to discuss France's role within an integrated Europe.

The 2010 Conference of Montreal will take place from Monday, June 7 to Thursday, June 10. For the complete up-to-date Conference program, visit www.conferenceofmontreal.com.

Media accreditation

Foreign and Canadian journalists are invited to cover the entire proceedings of the 16th International Economic Forum of the Americas/Conference of Montreal. To attend the event, journalists, photographers and media technical staff must obtain accreditation by contacting Kristin Gable at 514-282-4841. The full, detailed program of the International Economic Forum of the Americas/Conference of Montreal is updated on a regular basis and can be consulted at any time on the official website at www.conferenceofmontreal.com.

For further information: Kristin Gable, [phone], [email protected]