NEWS RELEASES
CANADA SIGNS AGREEMENTS WITH UKRAINE
March 6, 1997 No. 43
CANADA SIGNS AGREEMENTS WITH UKRAINE
Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy and the Ukrainian Foreign Minister
Hennadii Udovenko signed two bilateral agreements on peacekeeping and information
sharing today in Winnipeg. Minister Udovenko is on an official visit to Canada
March 4-7.
The Joint Declaration on Peacekeeping enumerates shared principles that enhance
and promote Canadian-Ukrainian bilateral relations through peacekeeping
activities. This declaration provides a vehicle for continuing Canadian-Ukrainian
co-operation and will develop and expand activities such as the Military Training
Assistance Program, which trains Ukrainian military and civilian personnel through
courses and joint exercises with Canadians in areas such as search and rescue,
humanitarian operations and peacekeeping.
"Canada and Ukraine support regional stability and co-operation and the
maintenance of international peace and security through this constructive
partnership," Mr. Axworthy said.
In accordance with Canada and Ukraine's continuing military and security co-operation, National Defence Minister Douglas Young announced yesterday that Canada
will establish a Canadian Forces' attaché position at the Canadian embassy in
Kyiv, which currently serves as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's contact
mission in Ukraine. Minister Young met with Minister Udovenko yesterday in
Ottawa.
The Memorandum of Understanding on Co-operation in the Sphere of Information
Sharing encourages co-operation on disseminating foreign policy information in
Canada and Ukraine. Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs and International
Trade and Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs will consult each other on
information distribution concerning mutual foreign policy activities and exchange
information products, such as bulletins.
"Although information sharing is part of normal bilateral relations between Canada
and many OECD [Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development] nations, we
only began to develop our capacity with Ukraine after the end of the Cold War,"
Mr. Axworthy said. "Canada and Ukraine are now taking a further step to
partnership in communications through the signing of this agreement."
Coinciding with the signing of this agreement, a representative from the Corel
Corporation presented Minister Udovenko with the Corel Web Graphic Suite software
for the development of a Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Web Site on the Internet.
While in Winnipeg, Minister Udovenko is also meeting with Manitoba Premier Gary
Filmon; delivering a speech to a joint luncheon meeting of the Winnipeg Chamber of
Commerce and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress; and laying a wreath during a
ceremony at the Taras Shevchenko monument.
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For further information, media representatives may contact:
Catherine Lappe
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
(613) 995-1851
Media Relations Office
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
(613) 995-1874
This document is also available on the Department's Internet site:
http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca
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