NEWS RELEASES
UKRAINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT CANADA
June 9, 2000 (10:00 a.m. EDT) No. 149
UKRAINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT CANADA
Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy today announced that Ukrainian Foreign Affairs
Minister Borys Tarasiuk will make an official visit to Canada June 12 and 13. The two
ministers have met several times -- including most recently at the NATO Foreign
Ministers Meeting in Florence on May 24 and 25 -- but this will be Mr. Tarasiuk's first
visit to Canada as Minister.
"I am very pleased to welcome Mr. Tarasiuk to Canada to continue our regular talks on
a variety of bilateral and multilateral issues," Mr. Axworthy said. "Canada and Ukraine
have a special relationship, in part due to the fact that over one million Canadians trace
their ancestry to Ukraine, and we share many domestic and foreign policy interests. I
hope that Mr. Tarasiuk's visit will contribute to the further enhancement of our mutual
understanding and our ability to work together on the international stage."
The ministers will discuss ways in which both countries, as non-permanent members of
the UN Security Council, can advance the human security agenda and promote stability
in war-torn areas such as Angola and the Horn of Africa. The talks will also focus on
pressing reform issues, including the closure of Chernobyl and Ukraine's relationship
with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, and bilateral issues, including
plans for the October 2000 Canada-Ukraine Intergovernmental Economic Commission.
Mr. Axworthy will meet with Mr. Tarasiuk in Winnipeg on June 12, where he will host a
luncheon for Mr. Tarasiuk and members of the Ukrainian-Canadian community.
Mr. Tarasiuk will also meet with Manitoba Premier Gary Doer and Deputy Premier
Jean Friesen. In Ottawa on June 13, he will meet with Minister of National Defence Art
Eggleton, Minister of Public Works and Government Services Alfonso Gagliano and
Minister for International Co-operation Maria Minna. He will also speak at a newsmaker
breakfast. During his visit, Minister Tarasiuk is expected to meet with representatives of
Canadian business, such as the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce and Nortel Networks.
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For further information, media representatives may contact:
Debora Brown
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
(613) 995-1851
Media Relations Office
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
(613) 995-1874
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