MP Ted Opitz Elected Chair of CUPFG

Ottawa, March 4, 2013 – At the Annual General Meeting of the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group, Ted Opitz, Member of Parliament for Etobicoke Centre, was elected Chair of the Group. Senators and Members of Parliament from various political parties were in attendance, joined by the new Ukrainian Ambassador to Canada, His Excellency Vadym Prystaiko.

Mr. Opitz is honoured to fulfill the duties of Chair, given his strong record with members of the Ukrainian community. The riding of Etobicoke Centre is rich in Ukrainian history and is home to a significant number of Ukrainian-Canadians. He is committed to strengthening Canada and Ukraine’s close bilateral relationship, while working towards establishing even stronger relations with Canadians of Ukrainian heritage across Canada.

In 2012, Mr. Opitz carried out his role as an election observer to Ukraine as part of Canada’s five hundred-member strong mission to monitor the parliamentary elections. He was proud to have taken part in supporting the democratic process by helping ensure a fair election. Mr. Opitz continues to be a strong advocate of the Ukrainian community in the House of Commons. He is the recipient of a certificate of appreciation from the Lonsky Street Prison Museum, presented by Ruslan Zabily for his work to keep the concerns and situation with regard to academic freedom in Ukraine before his colleagues in Parliament.

The Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group is a non-partisan group whose membership is open to all parliamentarians seeking to promote relations between Canada and Ukraine.

For any questions or comments regarding the CUPFG or any other government issues, please contact Ted Opitz’s Ottawa office at 613-947-5000.

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MP Ted Opitz Chair of CUPFG