October 07, 2009
Benoit to attend NATO parliamentary association meetings in Ukraine
“As President of the Canadian NATO PA, I will be attending the Defence and Security Committee’s Sub Committee on Future Security and Defence Capabilities meeting in Kiev”, says Benoit. “I will also be participating in the 72nd Rose Roth Seminar in Lviv, Ukraine”. Participants include parliamentarians from key NATO countries such as Canada, France, Italy and the United Kingdom, among others. As President of Canada’s NATO PA, Benoit will be representing Canada.
“I am very much looking forward to these extremely important sessions and am honoured to provide any support I can to help Ukraine gain membership in NATO,” continues Benoit. He added that Canada and his government have always been, and will continue to be, a strong and vocal advocate of Ukraine. For example:
- Canada was the first western country to recognize Ukraine when it broke free of Soviet domination;
- the Conservative government under Prime Minister Harper supported a Conservative MP’s motion that made Canada the first country in the world to recognize the Holodomor as an act of genocide, and acted to provide redress for the internment of Ukrainians during the First World War;
- Prime Minister Harper hosted a state visit from Ukrainian President Viktor Yuschenko in May 2008, during which the two leaders discussed a range of bilateral and international issues, including: the further development of political and commercial ties between the two nations and Ukraine's future in NATO; and
- Prime Minister Harper led NATO countries in committing to having Ukraine join NATO once they meet all requirements.
