New Brunswick-Quebec Cooperation Agreement

BETWEEN

The Government of New Brunswick, as represented by the Premier of New Brunswick and the Minister of Wellness, Culture and Sport, Minister Responsible for Francophonie and the Immigration and Repatriation Secretariat

AND

the Gouvernement du Québec, as represented by the premier ministre du Québec and the Ministre responsable des Affaires intergouvernementales canadiennes, de la Francophonie canadienne, de l’Accord sur le commerce intérieur, de la Réforme des institutions démocratiques et de l’Accès à l’information

• WHEREAS there are historical ties binding New Brunswickers and Québecers;
• WHEREAS in 1969, the Gouvernement du Québec and the Government of New Brunswick signed an Agreement for Co-operation and Exchange in Matters of Education, Culture and Communications; in 1992, a cooperation agreement on fisheries and aquaculture; and in 2001, an additional protocol to the Agreement for Cooperation and Exchange in Matters of Education, Culture and Communications, which expanded cooperation between the two governments into the areas of health, social services, and tourism;
• WHEREAS the two governments also signed other agreements over the years in the fields of finance, postsecondary education, health, public safety, procurement, transportation, e-government, and the crab fishing industry;
• WHEREAS the current of cultural, social, and economic exchanges between Québec and New Brunswick is still strong, notably because of their shared border;
• WHEREAS New Brunswick is the only Canadian province that recognizes the equality of the use and status of English and French in its territory;
• WHEREAS New Brunswick and Québec recognize the advantages of ongoing collaboration between their two governments; The parties agree to renew their cooperation according to the following provisions:

OBJECTIVES

The parties agree to increase the number of areas of cooperation between their respective governments and the exchange of information and sharing of expertise. This increased cooperation is designed to further promote the common interests of the parties in the field of the French language and culture, and in other fields of economic and social nature, in order to improve public service delivery, and to promote their mutual interests, especially in interprovincial, federal-provincial, and international discussions. The parties also agree to step up their collaboration efforts in all other fields of mutual interest.