Canada and Ukraine have a long history of friendship, common values, and shared ambitions for the future of our people.
Today, the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, concluded his first official visit to Ukraine, which focused on strengthening the already robust economic and people-to-people ties between Canada and Ukraine.
During his visit, the Prime Minister met with President Petro Poroshenko to reiterate Canada’s steadfast support for the people of Ukraine, its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and its reform efforts.
While in Kyiv, International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland signed the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement (CUFTA) along with her Ukrainian counterpart. This agreement represents a significant milestone in Canada’s relationship with Ukraine, and will generate commercial benefits for Canadians and Ukrainians alike.
The Prime Minister also met with Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman and Parliamentary Speaker Andriy Parubiy. During these meetings, he acknowledged progress made to date and encouraged Ukraine to accelerate its efforts to achieve long-term prosperity and stability.
He also met with members of the Canadian and Ukrainian business communities to underline the importance Canada attaches to deepening Canada-Ukraine commercial relations.
The Prime Minister concluded his trip by visiting Canadian Armed Forces personnel serving as part of Operation UNIFIER at the International Peacekeeping and Security Centre in Yavoriv, where he witnessed Canada’s contribution to support Ukrainian forces through capacity building and military training activities.
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“My first official visit to Ukraine has confirmed to me that Canada and Ukraine not only share deep historical ties, but that we are united in our desire for a better future. This free trade agreement, and indeed everything we have accomplished during this visit, will allow Canadians and Ukrainians to prosper together.”
Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
Quick Facts
- While in Ukraine, Prime Minister Trudeau made several announcements, including the following:
- Deploying additional Canadian monitors to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, which is monitoring the conflict in eastern Ukraine and supporting the implementation of the Minsk agreements;
- Responding to the immediate humanitarian needs of the conflict-affected population in eastern Ukraine by providing a total of 13 million dollars in humanitarian assistance – including water, food, shelter, protection, as well as legal assistance and information for displaced people – and immediate support to farmers whose livelihoods have been impacted by the conflict;
- Deploying additional Canadian police to Ukraine, in roles focused on training and the provision of advice and institutional development, to better consolidate the important gains made from Ukraine’s early police reforms and support the next phases of reform.
- In addition, the Prime Minister discussed human rights governance with civil society representatives. He highlighted the important role that civil society must play in complementing government efforts to implement far-reaching reforms.
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