Canada can be visited at any time of the year, but most people come in the summer when the temperatures are pleasant and most of the activities take place outside. The summer season varies depending on the region. In southern Canada, it generally refers to the period from late May to early September. In the northern region, however, the summer does not begin until mid-June and ends, often abruptly, with the first snow in early or mid-September. In most areas, from March to May and from September to October, there are fewer tourists and the weather is often surprisingly pleasant. Autumn is an excellent time to visit Canada as the forests put on a spectacular show of color. Canadian winters are long, cold, and dark. Most of the attractions are closed, and your exploration is quite limited to ski resorts and cities. Among those cities, Quebec City, Toronto, and Winnipeg are hosts of big winter carnivals.

Toronto – The capital of the Canadian province of Ontario is located on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. Here you will find modern skyscrapers, the tallest television tower in the world, and a large sports hall known as the Rogers Centre. Toronto is an ethnically diverse city with people of European, Latin American, Asian, and Caribbean origin. One of two citizens of Toronto was born somewhere else. Toronto is a literary, artistic, and musical city. The Toronto International Film Festival is held each September, featuring the red carpet, street festivals, rock concerts, exhibitions, and dance. The cuisine is multicultural as its population; Korean cake with nuts, Italian espresso, Indian curry.

Niagara Falls – This wonder of the nature is located in the far south of the province of Ontario, where the waters of Lake Erie fall almost 60 meters as they drain into Lake Ontario. Niagara Falls are among the largest, most beautiful, and certainly the most famous waterfalls in the world. The waterfalls straddle the international border between the United States and Canada and look amazing on both sides, although the Canadian side provides a better view. On a sunny day, you can see a rainbow created by the waterfalls. Day or night, regardless of the season, the waterfalls are always there, and they are beautiful to watch. Every year, 14 million visitors admire their beauty.

Vancouver – Commercial capital of British Columbia is located in the far southwest corner of Canada, only 40km from the United States border. It has a reputation as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Vancouver has a relatively balanced and mild climate all year round and a beautiful environment, great parks, green spaces, and a rich cultural life.

Montreal – The second largest city in Canada and the second largest French-speaking city in the world, as well as the capital of the province of Quebec. Montreal is situated on the largest of the 234 islands that form the Hochelaga Archipelago in the St. Lawrence River. The heart of the city is Ile de Montreal, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the St. Lawrence, located on the slopes of the ancient volcano of Mont-Royal. Officially founded in 1642, it is one of North America’s most important cities. Cities like Montreal don’t come along that often. During the day, it has a European charm, while the nightlife simply captures you with its creativity. Perhaps the best way to explore the city is to join the crowd and let it guide you. No matter what you do, by the end of your stay, you will have an irresistible desire to return.

We were much honored to talk to His Excellency Mr. Philip Pinnington, Ambassador of Canada to Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro.

1.Your Excellency, how do you feel about being in Belgrade? Can you tell us your impressions of Serbia? What was the course of your career in diplomacy before you came to Serbia?

Professionally, Serbia is an interesting place to be as there are many changes underway as the country moves closer to Europe; watching those changes and trying to assess their implications, and their future impact, is the warp and weft of a diplomat’s life. My sense is that in general the country is moving forward. Certainly, it is clear that there remains a great deal of potential to be brought to bear on building for the future, in terms of the land, the people and culture; to do so will require careful attention to meet domestic and international challenges. Personally, my wife and I are thoroughly enjoying Belgrade and Serbia – we were pleasantly surprised by the hidden gems the city and country reveal all the time, and no doubt will continue to be as we explore more.

2.At this moment Serbia is a candidate country, and negotiations started in January, 2014. In your opinion, how far is Serbia along the path to the EU, and what will be crucial for Serbia to become a member state?

As we are not an EU member state we are not as involved in the formal accession process so I cannot speak on it with authority. My assessment is that there is progress, however slow it may seem to some. There are major transitions taking place, with more to come, and these require time. On balance, though, the economy is showing signs of stabilizing, even growing. The most important point, though, is that the transformation of the economy and the society to bring both to European levels, indeed to Canadian levels as well, should be seen as good in itself whatever the timeline may be for EU membership.

3. How do you see Serbia’s EU integrations in the future, and do you think that upon joining the EU Serbia will become more appealing to investors, not just from Canada but from other countries as well?

Serbia has a good position now with the physical and human capital in place and myriad of trade relations it enjoys, as well as the changes it is introducing to make it an attractive place for investment. Certainly EU membership would make it more attractive as there would be greater confidence that the business environment, the legislation and the laws that provide stability and build confidence are in place.

4. What is the current diplomatic and economic cooperation between our countries like, what was it like in the past, and what should be changed in Serbia in order to improve that cooperation?

There have been diplomatic relations between Belgrade and Ottawa for seventy-five years and for the vast majority of that time they have been productive relations.

5. What is the nature of the foreign trade cooperation between our countries and what are the industries with the most potential in Serbia? What does Serbia export to Canada, and what does it import from Canada?

We do not have a high level of merchandise trade but even from its low levels it has increased significantly over the past 10 years. In 2013, Canadian principal exports to Serbia were electrical equipment and machinery, and our main imports were motor vehicles and parts. In 2015 our main exports were: animal products, base metals, machinery and mechanical appliances, chemical products, and optical and other instruments. Our main imports from Serbia were: vehicles, copper pipes and tubes, fruit and vegetable products, plastic and rubber products, machinery and mechanical appliances and optical and other instruments.

6. When it comes to investments, how do investors from Canada regard the Serbian market? What are the most influential Canadian companies that have made investments here? And what are the impressions of the Canadian companies working in Serbia?

Investment is the main driver of our economic relations. Canadian companies have invested in the food and beverage industry, pharmaceuticals, the information and technology sector, and manufacturing. The mining sector in Serbia is of particular interest to Canadian investors and we have a number of geological exploration companies active in the country, several of which have found very promising results. The investors I speak with are generally pleased with their operations in Serbia. Of course, they have day to day irritations, and there is the occasional major problem with an investment that we try to assist with, but on balance the message is positive. If asked to cite challenges, most companies say that the administrative processes are arduous, too complicated and not consistent, which may pose a challenge for the predictability and stability they prefer.

7. Last year, commodity exchange between the two countries was around USD 110 million. Can this exchange ratio be increased?

The short answer is yes. Geographic distance and the understandable lure of closer markets for both economies – the EU for Serbia, the US for Canada – mean that often neither is a first choice for companies in the other. The trade statistics may peak in certain years and in certain sectors but this is sometimes a function of a single contract. The Embassy’s objective is to present the opportunities for trade and to develop a consistent level of exchange between our two countries. Developments in Canada have made our products more competitive and we expect to see more interest in the Serbian market as a result.

8. Canada is a NATO member country, it has acknowledged Kosovo, but, could it still be said that the relationship with Serbia is improving?

I consider us to have a cordial, respectful relationship with the Government of Serbia.We have different positions on some issues but we do not allow those differences to get in the way of maintaining good contacts. As I said above, things are changing in Serbia, and that I see as being the best way to improve the general relationship, by having more Canadian companies here or having the diaspora come back in greater numbers.

9. Can you tell us about the relationship between Serbia and Canada in the fields of science, culture, and education?

This is an area that could develop more but it is not always clear how. The most important point is that in Canada responsibility for education is a responsibility of the provinces within our confederated system so we do not even have a Federal Minister for Education. As a result, we have found that the most effective way to build such ties is through direct contact between the institutions, contacts that often arise from professional or personal knowledge of people and institutions. We try to assist with the process by providing information on institutions and people who may be of interest. On the cultural side we have had a number of visitors, authors, artists, dancers and other performers and continue to support Canadian culture. Our new government is interested in revitalizing our international cultural promotion programs, so we may see more in that area. Canada has a strong scientific tradition, and greater cooperation in that area is something we could explore.

10. In the last couple of years, there has been an accelerated program of obtaining immigration permits for Canada. Have many Serbian people shown interest in this?

Serbians continue to show an interest in going to Canada to visit, study, and work and live. Our country continues to welcome immigrants, approximately 230,000 per year for the past 10 years. These are people who come independently, those who come to join their families and those who come as refugees. The newest program is the Express Entry program, through which skilled immigrants with work experience are settled based on their ability to settle in Canada and take part in our economy.

11. There are between 150 and 200 different diaspora communities in Canada. How large is the Serbian diaspora, and how have the Serbian people contributed to your country’s development?

Indeed, we take great pride in our multicultural makeup and the fact that we have been able to build a diverse, tolerant society, within which most people are able to find a place for themselves. It is not perfect, of course, but we have achieved a lot. The official statistics from the 2011 census show that approximately 80 thousand people cited Serbia as their country of origin, but we know that there are many more who claim Serbian origin. These people, and their descendants, have played an important role in the development of Canada as they brought with them their skills and experience and their drive to succeed and build something better for themselves and their families. I have met many Serbians who moved to Canada and I can say that they have been engaged in all areas of the economy from medicine to manufacturing.

12. How would you present your country as a tourist attraction? What aspects and landmarks would you highlight?

A vacation to Canada could be one hundred percent in the wilderness or one hundred percent in a city, or fifty-fifty – and none of them would be boring. We are a huge country with beautiful scenery: three oceans, mountains that rival the Alps, uncounted numbers (a fact, we do not know how many there are) of lakes and rivers, the Northern land of snow and ice, the west coast with a Pacific climate where snow and ice are rare, and most of the rest of the country where both are common – but they also have spectacular non-winter months. Our major cities are world class, vibrant, multicultural gatherings of people from all over the world. And, as many international surveys have suggested, we are the nicest people in the world – and apologetic; sorry for being so forward about being nice! Have I said enough? I could go on…

13. What are the things you particularly like or don’t like in Serbia? And do you plan to continue living here after your term ends?

The hospitality of the Serbian people is always a pleasure, the scenery is varied and lovely and the food good. As I said, Serbia has great potential, the country needs to be cared for and nurtured to realise that potential. I hope that the end of my term will not be the end of my career as a diplomat – so far there are no ominous signals to that effect – so where we will ultimately settle will of course be influenced by where our family is, but we will be back to Serbia to visit.

14. How do you spend your free time and what is your favorite memory from Serbia?

My wife and spend a lot of our free time exploring Belgrade, its culture and restaurants.So far there have been many, many, great memories and I am sure there are more to come during the time that remains. I will always remember the times when we have been at a social or cultural event and popular music from the last forty years – from the different parts of the former Yugoslavia – is played and everyone starts singing the songs together because they know the words and music so well.