HISTORIC VISIT OF UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION TO CANADA
Ottawa – On June 11 and 12, an all-party delegation of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, members of the Ukraine-Canada Parliamentary Friendship Group (UCPFG), visited the Parliament of Canada for a series of formal and informal meetings.
Led by First Vice-Speaker Iryna Gerashchenko and the Co-Chair of the UCPFG, Ivan Krulko, the delegation with their Canadian counterparts laid the foundations for strengthening bilateral relations between the respective parliaments of the two countries.
On June 11, working meetings between the executive of the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group (CUPFG) and the UCPFG took place.
“Since 2015, our ‘special’ and ‘strategic’ relationship has been deepened by our Government with the signing of the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement, the Canada-Ukraine Defence Cooperation Arrangement, the security assistance provided through the Canadian Armed Forces Operation UNIFIER, and Canada’s participation in NATO’s Operation REASSURANCE, and the two groups pledged to continue to promote broader Canada-Ukraine bilateral relations in all possible fields,” stated Wrzesnewskyj.
At the conclusion of the inaugural meeting of the CUPFG and the UCPFG, an official signing ceremony took place of a “Joint Statement of the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group & Ukraine-Canada Parliamentary Friendship Group.”
Members of the CUPFG and the UCPFG and other Canadian parliamentarians celebrated International Vyshyvanka Day by unfurling a banner in front of the Peace Tower, calling for the release of Oleg Sentsov and raising awareness of Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian political prisoners in Russia.
The members of the Ukraine-Canada Parliamentary Friendship Group also participated in meetings with the House of Commons Standing Committees on Foreign Affairs and International Development, National Defence and Industry, Science and Technology, and with the Minister of National Defence and the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
During their meeting with the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of National Defence, the Minister noted that Canada stood shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine and underscored the importance of assisting Ukraine in its long-term military defence capacity building and NATO integration. During the meeting with the Hon. Ahmed D. Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, the Minister affirmed the Government’s unwavering support for Ukraine and discussed ways to increase and better facilitate travel between our two countries, particularly for youth. Minister Hussen also confirmed his commitment to work with Ukraine on a new Youth Mobility Agreement.
The visit concluded with the hosting by the Embassy of Ukraine, the two Friendship Groups and the national office of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, of the premiere screening of “Cyborgs – Heroes Never Die” at the Canadian Museum of History.
