Minister Champagne to visit Latvia, Ukraine and Poland

February 28, 2020 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Foreign Affairs, will be in Latvia from March 2 to 3, 2020, before visiting Ukraine from March 4 to 6 and Poland on March 6.

In Riga, Latvia, Minister Champagne will meet with Egils Levits, President; Krišjānis Kariņš, Prime Minister; Edgars Rinkēvičs, Minister of Foreign Affairs; and Artis Pabriks, Minister of Defence and Deputy Prime Minister to discuss our commitments to security in the region and shared priorities with Latvia.

In Kyiv, Ukraine, Minister Champagne will meet with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President; Oleksiy Honcharuk, Prime Minister; and Vadym Prystaiko, Minister of Foreign Affairs, to discuss the close ties between our two countries, the on-going threats to Ukraine’s security and territorial integrity as well as our support for economic and democratic reforms in Ukraine. Minister Champagne will also speak with his counterpart about our joint response to the Flight PS752 tragedy.

In Warsaw, Poland, the Minister will hold a brief meeting with Jacek Czaputowicz, Poland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, before returning to Canada.

Minister Champagne will also visit Canadian troops deployed to NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group Latvia as part of Canada’s Operation REASSURANCE and troops deployed to Operation UNIFIER at the International Peacekeeping and Security Centre in Yavoriv, Ukraine.

Quotes

“My visits to Latvia, Ukraine and Poland will be important opportunities to discuss the close ties between Canada and these three countries and our shared priority of promoting security and prosperity in the region in the face of rising threats. I also look forward to visiting Canadian Armed Forces members who are supporting NATO along with the security forces of Ukraine in making Eastern Europe more secure and stable.”

- François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Foreign Affairs

Quick facts

Canada was the first G7 country to recognize the restoration of Latvia’s independence in 1991.
Canada was also one of the first countries to ratify Latvia’s accession to NATO in 2004.
On December 2, 1991, Canada became the first Western country to recognize Ukraine’s independence.
Since January 2014, Canada has committed more than $785 million in multi-faceted support to Ukraine, encompassing a broad range of financial, development, stabilization and security, non-lethal military and humanitarian assistance.
Through Operation REASSURANCE, Canada is leading the multinational NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group in Latvia, contributing up to 540 personnel.
Canada’s military training and capacity-building mission in Ukraine, Operation UNIFIER, launched in September 2015, is a key part of Canada’s overall effort to support Ukraine’s security, stability and sovereignty.
In July 2019, Canada hosted the third Ukraine Reform Conference in Toronto, Ontario, which brought together foreign ministers from the European Union, the G7 and NATO countries to support Ukraine and its people and meet their ambitious democratic and economic reform program and Euro-Atlantic goals.
Canada was the first NATO country to approve Poland joining the alliance, in 1998.
Canada and Poland have served together as NATO allies for more than two decades, including through the Canada-led multinational enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group in Latvia.

Associated links

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Syrine Khoury
Press Secretary
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