The Ambassador designate of Afghanistan to Canada, H.E. Omar Samad, presented his Letters of Credence to H.E. the Right Honorable Adrienne Clarkson, Governor General of Canada, at a ceremony held in Rideau Hall, Ottawa, on Monday.

At the ceremony, Ambassador Samad conveyed to the Governor General the best wishes of H.E. Hamid Karzai, President of the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan, and his hopes for further strengthened relations between the two countries.

The Afghan Ambassador thanked the Canadian people and Government for their comprehensive support towards stability and reconstruction in Afghanistan since 2001.

The Governor General, who visited Kabul earlier this year, showed keen interest in events unfolding in Afghanistan, and in the upcoming presidential elections in particular.

At a reception following the ceremony, the diplomatic staff of the Afghan embassy in Ottawa and the Consulate General in Toronto was introduced by the new Ambassador to the Governor General.