Poroshenko makes Canada swing after intensive UN meetings and speech

2017/9/23 0:36:56

President Petro Poroshenko is in Canada at the invitation of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for the kickoff of the Invictus Games, an international sporting event for wounded, injured and sick military servicemen and women

 


TORONTO, Sep 22, 2017 (UBO) – Hot on the heels of an intensive New York visit to address the UN General Assembly and meetings with President Donald Trump, Secretary-General António Guterres and a host of other political and business top brass, President Petro Poroshenko accepted the invitation of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for a two day working visit to Canada, Sep 22-23.

 

Rather than the usual Ottawa venues, Poroshenko and Trudeau will be meeting on the margins of an unusual sporting competition. The Invictus Games is the only international sporting event for wounded, injured and sick military servicemen and women, created by Britain's Prince Harry, in which former armed services personnel and their associated veterans take part in sports including wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball, and indoor rowing.

 

On the first night of the Poroshenko visit, the president and the prime minister took part in a gala reception to raise money to help support the costs of Ukraine’s team participation.

 

The tournament will unite more than 550 wounded fighters from 17 countries who will compete in 12 adaptive sports disciplines. A team of 15 ATO veterans, who have undergone all the stages of national selection and special training, will represent Ukraine at the Invictus Games this year for the first time.

 

The Poroshenko visit seen as indicative of close Canada-Ukraine relations

 

During their formal meetings, Trudeau and Poroshenko will discuss how to strengthen the already robust security and people-to-people connections between Canada and Ukraine. Trudeau’s office said he will also reiterate Canada’s ongoing support for the people of Ukraine, its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and its reform efforts.

 

In making the invitation for the Poroshenko visit, Trudeau said: “Canada and Ukraine enjoy a historic friendship forged through generations of shared values and strong relations. Canada will continue to work closely with Ukraine to bring greater security, prosperity, and economic independence to the Ukrainian people.”

 

When announcing the Poroshenko visit, Trudeau’s official news release added a listing of facts considered important in relations between the two countries:

 

  • Prime Minister Trudeau last met with President Poroshenko in Kyiv, Ukraine, in July 2016.
  • Since 2015, the Canadian Armed Forces have trained more than 4,800 members of the Ukrainian armed forces as part of Operation UNIFIER, Canada’s military training mission in Ukraine.
  • The coming into force of the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement on August 1, 2017, represents a notable milestone in the countries’ bilateral relationship, and will generate commercial benefits for Canadian and Ukrainian businesses alike.
  • Canada-Ukraine bilateral merchandise trade increased 14 per cent in 2015 and 34 per cent in 2016. In that same year, Canada’s merchandise exports to Ukraine totaled $265.2 million and merchandise imports totaled $107.4 million.
  • Canada and Ukraine have enjoyed close bilateral relations since Canada became the first Western nation to recognize Ukraine’s independence on December 2, 1991. 
  • Canada and Ukraine’s people-to-people ties are strengthened by the almost 1.3 million-strong Ukrainian-Canadian community.  
  • Since January 2014, Canada has committed more than $700 million in multi-faceted support to Ukraine, encompassing a broad range of financial, development, stabilization and security, non-lethal military and humanitarian assistance.

 

###

 

The article above includes text and photos provided by the Ukraine Presidential Press Office, the office of the Prime Minister of Canada, and the Invictus Games.

 

Printer Friendly Page Send this Story to a Friend Create a PDF from the article