February 12, 2015

Canada announces $50 million in additional aid to Ukraine

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UCC

Minister of International Trade Ed Fast and Director of Humanitarian Initiatives of the Ukrainian World Congress Ulana Suprun.

OTTAWA – The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) welcomed the announcement by Minister of International Trade Ed Fast of more than $50 million in additional support by Canada to Ukraine during a trade and development mission to Kyiv on January 25-26.

Minister Fast met with Aivaras Abromavicius, Ukraine’s minister of economic development and trade; Oleksiy Pavlenko, minister of agrarian policy and food; and Natalia Jaresko, minister of finance. Minister Fast also met with Canadian and Ukrainian business leaders, including members of the Ukraine Advisory Council of the UCC.

Minister Fast announced that the provision of 100 Improved First Aid Kits (IFAKs) has been earmarked for funding as part of the assistance package announced on November 26, 2014, by Minister of National Defense Rob Nicholson to the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) Patriot Defense project, which has trained over 12,000 Ukrainian soldiers in first aid and distributed over 9,500 IFAKs. “The IFAKs Canada is providing will help save the lives of brave Ukrainian soldiers.” stated Ulana Suprun, the UWC’s director of humanitarian initiatives.

Minister Fast, with Minister Abromavicius, also announced that Canada and Ukraine are “actively engaged” in negotiations to conclude a free trade agreement.

“Preparatory work is currently under way by our officials for a full round of face-to-face negotiations, in Kyiv, in the near future. The Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement will be an ambitious and comprehensive agreement, creating new market opportunities and predictable conditions for businesses, strengthening the Canada-Ukraine partnership in peace and prosperity,” stated Ministers Fast and Abromavicius in a joint statement.

“It is of great importance that Canada and Ukraine are moving towards a free trade agreement,” stated Canada Ukraine Chamber of Commerce President Zenon Poticzny. “As Ukraine faces serious economic challenges, increased trade with Canada will not only help stabilize and grow Ukraine’s economy, but will be to the benefit of both Canada and Ukraine.”

The support for Ukraine by Canada announced on January 26 totals more than $50 million, and includes:

• $19.7 million to Société de Coopération pour le Développement International (SOCODEVI), a Canadian organization, to promote the growth of small and medium-sized dairy businesses in Ukraine, particularly those led by women.

• $13.5 million over six years (2013-2018) to a consortium of SOCODEVI, the University of Sherbrooke, and the Canadian Cooperative Association to address the limitations of small and medium-sized grain producers in Ukraine.

• $18.8 million to Agriteam Canada to assist Ukraine’s national and sub-national governments to develop and implement transitional and long-term governance and economic reforms in a more inclusive and transparent way. The project will deploy Canadian technical advisors to share their expertise in these areas with Ukrainian officials and citizens.

• Up to $100,000 in additional support to the Economic Advisory Council, a group of leading international economic experts, headed by Canadian professor Dr. Basil Kalymon of the University of Western Ontario. The goal is to support Ukraine in economic stabilization and reform.

“On behalf of the Ukrainian Canadian community, I thank the government of Canada for the economic and development assistance announced today for Ukraine. Canada has been a world leader in supporting Ukraine as it faces invasion by the Russian Federation,” stated Paul Grod, national president of the UCC.

“The economic and development aid, as well as expert advice that Canada is providing will help Ukraine’s fragile economy. As Russia wages a brutal war on Ukraine, Canada continues to show that its commitment to helping the Ukrainian people defend their independence and freedom will not waver,” stated Lenna Koszarny, chair of the UCC Ukraine Advisory Council.

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