The Deputy Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament Andriy Parubiy began his official trip to Canada and the US on February 21, 2016. The one week long trip included numerous meetings and round tables in Toronto, Ottawa and Washington (DC). Multiple meetings with the leaders of the Ukrainian Canadian community in Toronto marked the first day of the official visit. Mr. Parubiy has answered numerous question of interest to the Ukrainian community, including tough questions on corruption, reforms and the current political turbulence in the Verkhovna Rada. The video from the Question & Answer session can be watched on Forum TV on OMNI channel on ---, 2016 at ----. The next morning Ukraine's Deputy Vice-Speaker spent touring the Ukrainian Canadian Research & Documentation Centre, a community institution that collects, catalogues, and preserves material documenting the history, culture and contributions of Ukrainians throughout the world. Mr. Parubiy met with the Centre's staff and answered their questions regarding the current state of affairs in Ukraine. The highlight of the day was Mr. Parubiy's lecture at the Munk Centre for Global Affairs where he spoke about reforms and Ukraine's security two years after the Euromaidan/Revolution of Dignity. The lecture was followed by Question & Answer from the audience.
On Tuesday Mr. Parubiy testified in the Canadian Senate in front of the members of the foreign affairs and defence committees. Senator Raynell Andreychuk chaired the meeting. The meetings in the House of Commons started with a roundtable meeting with the Official Opposition, chaired by Rona Ambrose. The meeting was attended by over a dozen of Conservative MPs. At the roundtable Mr. Parubiy briefed the Conservative caucus on the reforms that were already implemented in Ukraine and the status of new laws that will help Ukrainian government operate in a more effective and transparent way. The roundtable was followed by a meeting with MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj and Parliamentary Secretary for the Minister of Foreign Affairs MP Omar Alghabra. Mr. Parubiy then attended a Question Period in House of Commons alongside Ukraine's Ambassador to Canada Andriy Shevchenko, ICSU Vice-President Borys Potapenko, ICSU Executive Director Anton Sestritsyn, and Ukraine's Charge d'Affaires Marko Shevchenko. Shortly after Question Period, Mr. Parubiy had a chance to meet with the Prime Minister of Canada, The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau and Minister of National Defence, The Honourable Harjit Sajjan at the government lobby. At both meetings Mr. Parubiy expressed his hope that sanctions against Russia and individuals resposible for the situation in the Donbas and Crimea would be kept at the same level. During the question period MP James Bezan rose in the Parliament to mark the second anniversaries of the violence on the Maidan and invited MPs to attend a vigil to commemorate the Heavenly Hundred organized by Euromaidan Ottawa. That same day Mr. Parubiy attended a session of the Senate and was recognized by the Speaker of the Senate for his contributions to the development of democracy in Ukraine and his positive work in the Parliament of Ukraine.
