News Release

From the Prime Minister's Web Site (http://www.pm.gc.ca/)

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PRIME MINISTER STEPHEN HARPER ISSUES GREETING TO MARK VIETNAMESE NEW YEAR

February 5, 2007
Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued the following greeting to all Vietnamese Canadians celebrating the New Year:

On behalf of Canada’s New Government, I would like to offer my warmest greetings on the occasion of the Vietnamese New Year. The year of the pig will be marked by celebrations in Vietnamese homes and communities across the country.

I have reason to celebrate too because I was born in 1959, also the year of the pig.

As Tet draws near, we realize how much this community has become part of the Canadian cultural landscape. It began with the arrival of the boat people after the fall of Saigon, and continues to this day as second- and third-generation Vietnamese sink their roots ever deeper into Canadian soil.

We are bonded together by shared values:

hard work and equal opportunity for all;

commitment to family and community; and

the freedom to retain our cultural traditions, as proud citizens of a strong and united Canada.

Please accept my best wishes for good health and good fortune.

May the New Year bring peace and prosperity for you and your families.

Chuc mung nam moi.

Thank you.

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The Prime Minister’s Office - Communications
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