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Chronology of Ukraine-Canada Relations


Photos: Canada-Ukraine Monitor magazine

The full collection of 18 issues has now been digitally re-published and posted on the Internet to retain a searchable PDF record of this visual archive.

Click on images
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1991

  • August 24 - Ukraine declares independence.

  • September 22 - The first official delegation from the Government of Ukraine visits Canada, headed by Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) Chairman Leonid Kravchuk. Meetings are held in Ottawa with Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and Governor General Ramon Hnatyshyn. Ministers of Foreign Affairs Anatoly Zlenko and Barbara McDougall sign a Declaration on relations between Canada and Ukraine. Work is initiated on a Consulate General in Kyiv.

  • December 2 - Following 90% popular support in the referendum results confirming Ukraine's independence on December 1, Canada becomes the first Western country to recognize the independence of Ukraine and expresses her wish to dynamically develop fully fledged bilateral relations.

1992

  • January 27 - Foreign Affairs Ministers Barbara McDougall visits Kyiv and signs a Joint declaration with Foreign Minister Anatoly Zlenko on establishing diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Canada. Canada's Consulate-General in Kyiv is raised to an Embassy, with Nestor Gayowsky assuming the title of Charge d'Affaires.

  • May 3 - The Embassy of Ukraine in Canada is established in Ottawa.

  • July 7 - Declaration on economic cooperation between Ukraine and Canada is signed during Minister of Industry, Science and Technology Michael Wilson's visit to Ukraine.

  • July 16 - The first Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Ukraine in Canada Levko Lukianenko presents his credentials to Governor General Ramon Hnatyshyn.

  • July 31 - Francois Mathys is appointed the first Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Canada in Ukraine.

  • September 22 - The Embassy of Canada in Ukraine opens for business in Kyiv.

  • September 28 - October 1 - Governor-General Ramon Hnatyshyn visits Ukraine -- the first official visit of a foreign Head of State to Ukraine.

  • December 1 - Official opening of the Embassy of Ukraine in Canada.

1993

  • March 21 - Official opening of Ukraine's Consulate-General in Toronto.

  • May 4 - An International Research and Development Centre is established in Kyiv on the basis of a joint agreement signed between Ukraine, Canada, the U.S. and Sweden.

  • May 8-16 - Quebec sends a Trade Mission to Ukraine headed by Minister for International Affairs Guy Rivard.

  • November 19 - The Canada-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce is established in Toronto at the initiative of Canadian business organizations and firms doing business in Ukraine.

1994

  • February 7 - Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Ukraine in Canada Victor Batiuk presents his credentials to Governor General of Canada Ramon Hnatyshyn.

  • March 29 - April 1 - Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs Andre Ouellet visits Ukraine during elections, meets with President Leonid Kravchuk and signs a major pact on bilateral trade and commercial relations. In the course of the visit the following bilateral documents are signed:

  • June - A Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group is created in Ottawa with members from Canada's Parliament and Senate.

  • October 23-27 Ukraine's President Leonid Kuchma makes a State Visit to Canada - his first visit abroad. Six agreements are signed:









    • Agreement on Friendship and Cooperation between Ukraine and Canada;

    • Agreement on Economic Cooperation;

    • Agreement on promotion and protection of investments;

    • Agreement on military relations;

    • Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the Department of National Defense of Canada in the area of bilateral military relations;

    • Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Ukraine and the Government of Canada regarding Canadian Cooperation Program;
      The visit allows both sides to emphasize the importance of Ukraine-Canada bilateral relations and the development of a special partnership. World leaders gather in Winnipeg for the G-7 "Conference on Economic Transformation in Ukraine". President Kuchma addresses this conference.

1995

  • February 8-22 - A delegation of the National Bank of Ukraine headed by its Board Chairman V. A. Yushchenko visits Canada.

  • May 9 - A working meeting is held between Ukraine President Leonid Kuchma and Canada's Prime Minister J. Chretien in Moscow during celebrations dedicated to the 50th Anniversary of the end of World War II.

  • June 30 - July 8 - A Verkhovna Rada (Parliamentary) delegation headed by the Verkhovna Rada (Parliamentary) Chairman Moroz visits Ottawa and participates in the 4th session of the OSCE Inter-Parliamentary Assembly.

  • September 26 - A working meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs Hennadiy Udovenko and Andre Ouellette takes place during the 50th Session of UNO General Assembly. The Parties exchange documents pertaining to the coming-into-effect of the Agreement on Friendship and Cooperation between Ukraine and Canada signed on October 24, 1994.

  • October 2-7 - Official visit of Saskatchewan Premier Roy Romanow to Ukraine. Agreements are reached on cooperation in such spheres as business development, fuel and power sector, agriculture and health. As well, a Memorandum on cooperation between Ukraine and the Province of Saskatchewan is signed during the visit.

  • November - Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) receives a mandate from the Government of Canada to manage the Technical Cooperation Program with Ukraine.

  • December 20 - A Ukrainian delegation headed by Minister of Environment and Nuclear Safety Yuriy Kostenko visits Ottawa to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ukraine and the Governments of G-7 countries and European Community Commission regarding the closure of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant.


1996

  • January 23 - Canada's new Ambassador Christopher Westdall presents his credentials to President Kuchma in Kyiv.

  • February 14 - Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Ukraine in Canada Volodymyr Furkalo presents his credentials to Canada's Governor General Romeo LeBlanc.

  • April 20 - During the G-7 Summit in Moscow, a working meeting takes place between Ukraine's President Leonid Kuchma and Canada's Prime Minister Chretien, focusing on aid and coopeation, in particular, on Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant closure.

  • April 23-27 - A Ukrainian delegation headed by Minister of Transport of Ukraine I. P. Dankevych visits Canada at the invitation of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) President. Negotiations take place between the delegation and heads of Canadian Ministries and Departments.

  • April 27 - May 4 - Toronto hosts its first major Trade Show and Conference "Ukraine and Partners in the XXth - XXIst centuries". Some 200 participants and 50 companies from various regions and sectors represent Ukraine.

  • April 27 - May 4 - A Ukrainian delegation headed by Minister of Fisheries M. Shvedenko meets with senior officials of Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

  • July 19 - Ambassador of Ukraine in Canada Volodymyr Furkalo is appointed Ukraine's representative to ICAO, which is headquartered in Montreal.

  • August 21-24 - Speaker of the Senate of Canada Gill Molgat heads a delegation from Canada to celebrations marking the 5th Anniversary of Ukraine's Independence in Kyiv.

  • September 10-11 - Minister of Federal and Intergovernmental affairs of the Provincial Alberta Ken Rostad visits Kyiv to conduct bilateral consultations and arrange joint Alberta-Ukrainian projects on cooperation, prospects and possibilities to partner the Province of Alberta and oblasts (regions) of Ukraine.

  • September 17-21 - A senior delegation of representatives of Canada's Departments of National Defence and Foreign Affairs headed by Deputy Minister of National Defence Kenneth Calder visits Kyiv to take part in the Second Annual Ukrainian-Canadian Seminar on safety issues "Ukraine and Canada in New Europe".

  • September 21-30 - Ukraine's Minister of Justice Serhiy Holovatiy visits Ottawa at the invitation of Canadian Minister of Justice. On September 23, and agreement is signed between Ukraine and Canada on mutual legal assistance in criminal cases. As well, an agreement in principle is reached on cooperation between the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine and Department of Justice of Canada.

  • October 23-24 - Canada's Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy pays an official visit to Ukraine, leading a major Trade Mission, including 78 businessmen and women. Minister Axworthy takes part in the first (organizational) meeting of the Canada-Ukraine Intergovernmental Economic Commission.
    A series of business contracts, investments and assistance packages totalling $600 million are signed.

  • December 9 - Dr. Andrij Serdiuk, Ukraine's Minister of Health, visits Canada and signs a Memorandum of Understanding with Canada's Minister of Health David Dingwall.



1997

  • March 4-7 - Ukraine's Foreign Minister Hennadiy Udovenko visits Canada. The focus of the visit is European security and bilateral relations. Canada confirms its strong support for the pending Ukraine-NATO partnership agreement by having its Embassy in Kyiv act as the NATO contact mission (information office) for Ukraine.

  • June 12-16 - A delegation of more than 150 Ukrainian business and government leaders and senior ministers accompany Ukraine Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko during his official visit to Canada. They participate in the 2nd meeting of the Intergovernmental Economic Commission (IEC), a major Canada-Ukraine Investment and Development Conference and a series of sectoral workshops organized under the umbrella of CUBI '97 (Canada-Ukraine Business Initiative.

  • October 4-9 - Manitoba's Premier Gary Filmon visits Ukraine

  • December 16-17 - New sessions of the working groups of the Canada-Ukraine Intergovernmental Economic Commission (IEC) are held in Kyiv to discuss the future development of bilateral trade, economic cooperation and investment projects.

1998

  • February 21 - March 4 - A delegation of the State Committee of Ukraine on Administrative Reform headed by H.E. Volodymyr Yatsuba, First Deputy Head of the Administration to the President of Ukraine, visited Canada.

  • March 1-3 - Hon. Diane Marleau, Canadian Minister for International Cooperation, paid an official visit to Ukraine.

  • April 2-5 - Hon. Ralph Goodale, Canadian Natural Resources Minister, visited Ukraine.

  • April 4-9 - Official visit to Canada of the Ukrainian delegation headed by H.E. Roman Shpek, Head of the National Agency for Development and European Integration.

  • April 6-14 - Delegation of the Health Ministry of Ukraine visited Canada.

  • May 25-30 - Visit to Canada by Andriy Honcharuk, First Deputy Minister for Foreign Economic Relations of Ukraine.

  • June 21-26 - Visit to Canada of a joint Ukrainian delegation of the Ministry for Emergency Situations and Protection of the Population from the Consequences of the Chornobyl Disaster, the Ministry of Energy, and the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Nuclear Safety.

  • June 28 - July 1 - H.E. Dmytro Ostapenko, Minister for Culture and the Arts of Ukraine, visited Canada at the invitation of the Hon. Sheila Copps, Minister of Canadian Heritage. He also participated in the International Conference in Ottawa on cultural issues.

  • July 8-10 - Official visit to Ukraine by the Hon. Art Eggleton, Minister of National Defence of Canada, the first official visit of Canadian Defence Minister to Ukraine.

  • October 20 - Third Meeting of Ukraine-Canada Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation (IEC).

  • December 3 - Ukraine's new Ambassador to Canada H.E. Volodymyr Khandogiy presents his credentials to Canada's Governor General Romeo LeBlanc.

1999

  • January 27-28 - First official visit to Ukraine by the Right Honourable Jean Chretien, Prime Minister of Canada; bilateral Memorandum on Cooperation in the Destruction of Anti-Personnel Landmines signed, along with several agreements on trade and economic cooperation.

  • June 7-11 - Chairman of the State Committee for Administrative Reform of Ukraine, first President of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk visited Canada.

  • June 23-25 - Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko visited Canada.

  • August 19-21 - Rayisa Bohatyrova, Minister of Health Care of Ukraine, pays a working visit to Canada.
    (Photos: Rayisa Bohatyrova, Minister of Health Care of Ukraine, and Allan Rock, Minister of Health of Canada, renewed the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Ministry of Health Care of Canada and the Ministry of Health of Canada.)

  • October 31 - November 14 - Presidential elections in Ukraine: Canadian observers join international election monitors.

  • November 18 - Ukraine's President Leonid Kuchma meets with Canada's Prime Minister Jean Chretien during the OSCE Summit in Istanbul.

  • November 29-30 - Bilateral political consultations in Kyiv between senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Canada.

2000

  • April 12 - Ukraine's new Ambassador to Canada H.E. Dr. Yuri Scherbak presents his credentials to Canada's Governor General A. Clarkson.

  • June 3-11 - Ukrainian delegation headed by Vice Prime-Minister of Ukraine responsible for Education and Science Borys Kholod visits Canada at the invitation of the Canadian Bureau for International Education.

  • June 12-13 - Official visit to Canada by Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs Borys Tarasiuk. Meetings are held with Prime Minister Jean Chretien, International Trade Minister Pierre Pettigrew, Defence Minister Allan Eggleton, Manitoba Premier Gary Doer, Speaker of the Senate Gildas Molgat, Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Peter Stollery and other senior officials. Discussions focus on a range of issues dealing with Canada-Ukraine bilateral cooperation in the international arena and international organizations. During the visit, high-level bilateral consultations are held between officials of the Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and Canada.

  • June 19-28 - Delegation headed by Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Transport A. Demidenko visits Canada and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

  • June 22-23 - Working visit to Ukraine by Canada's Minister of Labor A. Galliano. Talks are held between the Head of Ukraine's State Committee on Construction, Architecture and Residential Policy V. Husak and other officials. As a result of this visit, a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation on Questions of Residential Construction was signed between Ukraine's State Committee on Construction, Architecture and Canada's Labour Department (Human Resources Development Canada).

  • July 6-8 - Ukraine's Vice Prime Minister Mykola Zhulynski pays a working visit to Canada, meeting with Canada's Deputy PM Herb Gray and senior officials of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Health Canada, Heritage Canada and Foreign Affiairs Canada.

  • September 4-9 - Delegation of Ukrainian banking officials headed by Deputy Head of the National Bank of Ukraine Y. Soltis visits Canada.

  • September 10-12 - Working visit to Ukraine by Canada's Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Elinor Caplan. Meetings are held with senior officials of Ukraine's Ministry of Justice and other state ministries and committees.

  • Sept. 26-28 - Working visit to Ukraine by Canada's Minister for International Cooperation Maria Mina. Meetings are held with Ukraine's Prime Minister Victor Yuschenko, Vice Prime Minister M. Hladiy, and Minister of Agricultural Policy I. Kyrylenko.

  • November 4-19 - Study tour to Canada by Ukrainian delegation headed by the Minister of the State Committee for Information Ivan Drach, Minister of Culture and the Arts H. Chmil, and Chairs of Parliamentary (Verkhovna Rada) Committees on Culture Les Tanyuk and on FFreedom of Information O. Zinchenko. Members of the delegation are familiarized with Canada's special experiences in multiculturalism, support for minority rights, regulating activities in foreign affairs, and the like.

  • November 15-26 - Visit to Canada by a Ukrainian delegation headed by the Chair of Ukraine's Parliamentary Committee on Agro-Industrial Policy K. Vashchuk and First Deputy Minister of Agricultural Policy Y. Luzan. Members of the delegation information are briefed on Canadian experiences in agriculture.

  • November 26-28 - Ukrainian construction industry delegation, headed by Ukrbud Corporation President Y. Pelykh, visits Canada and participates in the international trade show "Construction 2000" in Toronto.

  • December 2-3 - Ambassador of Ukraine Dr. Yuri Scherbak participates in a ceremony marking the creation of the Advisory Committee "Alberta-Ukraine".

2001

2002

  • January 30 - Foreign Minister Anatoliy Zlenko welcomes Canada's Department of External Affairs Secretary of State for Central and Eastern Europe Gar Knutson

  • September 26 - Celebration of 50th Anniversary of Radio Canada International (RCI) Ukrainian-language programming

  • December 18 - Former Governor-General Ray Hnatyshyn dies, honoured in state funeral


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