Prime Minister Announces Signing of Agreements With Ukraine

" These agreement signal Canada's resolve to provide concrete assistance to the new Ukraine as she continues down the road of political and economic reform, " said the Prime Minister. "Our visit to Ukraine has helped to broaden our bilateral relationship and has served as a timely forum to discuss key issues of common concern."

The Prime Minister also noted that three other agreements have been finalized with the government of Ukraine in recent days:

In addition, Canada has also announced a series of technical assistance projects through the Canadian International Development Agency. The projects involve: Beef and Forage Development, Land Privatization and Farm Reorganization, Controlling Corruption in the Public Sector, Parliamentary Resource Centre, Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Lines of Credit, Crimea Women in Business and Leader development.

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Prime Minister Jean Chrétien witnessed the signing of five Canada-Ukraine agreements which will enhance cooperation and understanding between the countries in a number of areas including air transport, landmine destruction, education, climate change, geomatics, biotechnology, quarantive plants and legal assistance.

The Bilateral Air Agreement marks the first Air Transport Agreement concluded between the two countries. Under the agreement, provisionally in effect since bilateral negotiations concluded in June, 1997, Canadian and Ukrainian airlines gain similar route rights and carrier operating flexibility to serve the route either with their own aircraft or through commercial collaboration at an intermediate point (code-sharing) with their respective partner airlines.

Air Canada, which is not operating its own aircraft on the route, entered the bilateral market via code-sharing with Lufthansa on July 15, 1997. Air Ukraine began twice weekly service to Toronto on January 3, 1998.

The Memorandum of Understanding on Landmine Destruction marks the progress Ukraine is making towards signing the Ottawa Treaty after a year of considerable engagement by Canada. Ukraine welcomed the Treaty from its inception but had cited a number of concerns as obstacles to signature. This agreement calls for an ongoing dialogue emphasizing the humanitarian nature of the issue over any military utility.

Canada and Ukraine will work together under terms of the agreement on the destruction of the estimated millions of anti-personnel mines stockpiled throughout the country. Canada will provide financial, material and technical assistance towards this effort and will seek additional support from other donors. In return, Ukraine has undertaken to sign the Treaty "in the nearest future".

The Memorandum of Understanding on Education Cooperation highlights Canada's capacities in technology mediated learning (distance learning) and foresees the establishment of a Canadian studies programme in Ukraine. In addition, it provides a framework and guiding principles for the establishment of a Canadian Learning Centre (CLC) at the Embassy. The agreement will also set the stage for CLC links with seven leading universities in Ukraine to promote Canadian education capacities.

CLC operations will have a three-fold purpose: (1) to provide direct access to the Ukrainian market for Canadian education services and products; (2) to showcase Canadian technology mediated services to targeted audiences in Ukraine, and; (3) to bring the excellence of our education capacities in Canada to the attention of Ukrainian students at all levels.

The CLC will be a two-year "Team Education Canada" pilot to be funded by the DFAIT, in partnership with Industry Canada, Teleglobe Canada, Human Resources Development Canada, the Canadian Network for the Advancement of Research, Industry and Education, Inc.(CANARIE), and other selected partners. This initiative was done in consultation with the Council of Ministers of Education of Canada.

The Memorandum on Climate Change will facilitate cooperation between Canada and the Ukraine on joint climate change issues, in particular, joint projects that reduce net greenhouse gas emissions in Ukraine. Both countries have ratified the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change of 1992 and have signed the Kyoto Protocol of 1997 having agreed to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Activities envisaged under the agreement include: interaction between climate change project offices, information exchange on project criteria and procedures, cooperation on the science of climate change, and the promotion of joint activities among the private sector, public sector, and NGO's. Activities will aim to encourage and facilitate private sector investment in joint projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The Memorandum of Understanding on Geomatics will facilitate the implementation of cooperative projects in the field of Geomatics between Canada and Ukraine. The agreement, initiated by the Department of Natural Resources' Canadian Centre for Remote Sensing is based on real needs of on-going Canada-Ukraine cooperation on a Chornobyl Geographic Information System Project. This project aims to study the effects of the Chornobyl accident on the Ukrainian people. With that aim in mind, the project will derive immediate benefits from the agreement, as technology transfer and information exchange are critical to the success of the project.

The long-term benefits of the agreement will be equally important. As Ukraine prepares to enter the 21st century, access to information will be critical for planning the country`s economic development. In particular, rapidly accessible geospatial information (such as maps and satellite imagery) will be required in support of decision-making processes. Up-to-date information will be used to identify remediation actions, establish priorities, and design and implement work plans in emergency situations. At the same time, such information is essential for Ukraine's resource management, environmental protection and land use sustainability.

The Memorandum of Understanding on Genetically Enhanced Plant Products is intended to assist Ukraine in developing a regulatory framework that can deal with biotechnology products. The Ukrainian Ministry of Science and Technology has formally requested Canada's assistance in developing a biotechnology regulatory system. With assistance from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and with Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) funding, Ukraine has evaluated the Canadian regulatory system and is now developing legislation.

It is to Canada's advantage to assist Ukraine in developing a regulatory system for biotechnology products that is modelled after the North American science-based approach. Co-operation with Ukraine in the development of a regulatory system may have a positive influence on other Eurasian countries in terms of their adoption of regulatory practices relative to biotechnology.

The Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Plant Quarantine will promote cooperation between Canada and Ukraine in the field of plant quarantine and help prevent the introduction and spread of quarantive pests and diseases between our two countries. The agreement also provides for the exchange of quarantine information and scientific expertise, as well as for training.

Notes were exchanged concerning the Treaty of Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters (MLAT) signed with Ukraine in Ottawa on September 23, 1996. Canada completed its domestic ratification procedure and was informed in December, 1997 of the ratification of the MLAT by the Supreme Rada of Ukraine. The Treaty enters into force by the exchange of instruments of ratification and will officially enter into force on the first day of the second month after such an exchange.

The purpose of Treaties on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters is to assist police and prosecutors in obtaining evidence located in other jurisdictions. They provide the legal basis for the authorities in one country to take compulsory measures at the request of the authorities of the other. The development of a network of MLATs is proving to be very useful to the RCMP and other Canadian investigating authorities in dealing with transboundary crime.

Prime Minister Chrétien also announced seven new technical cooperation projects, through CIDA, to be carried out between the two countries.

The Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership will take the lead on a Beef and Forage Development Project, to help Ukraine improve the regulation and management of its beef and forage industries. A total of 225 Ukrainian specialists will be trained under this project, and Ukrainian beef cattle stocks will improve as a result of the introduction of Canadian beef genetics.

A Land Privatization and Farm Reorganization Project with the International Finance Corporation will help Ukraine to improve and make changes to its laws and regulations related to land reform. Through a model training and reorganization initiative in one district, this project will also help accelerate farm reorganization throughout the country and help establish private ownership of farms in Ukraine.

Canada's Department of Justice will work with Ukraine's Ministry of Justice to promote integrity among public servants, through the Controlling Corruption in the Public Sector Project. This project will provide key players in the Ukrainian government with information on concepts and practices related to political, judicial and bureaucratic processes, with the aim of helping Ukraine to develop a strategy to prevent, detect and act against corruption in government.

A Parliamentary Resource Centre Project will be managed by the Toronto branch of Canadian Friends of Ukraine. The project will improve the capacity of Ukraine's National Parliamentary Library and the Secretariat of the Parliament of Ukraine to function as effective sources of information, research and analysis for its parliamentary clients. The project will also set up a Canadian Resource Centre as part of the library collection.

Through a Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Line of Credit Project, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development will assign Canadian credit advisors to Ukrainian bank, to help improve the financial services available to Ukrainian entrepreneurs, and to strengthen the capacity of the banking sector in general.

A Crimea Women in Business Project will complement other activities of the Crimea Integrated Development Project, being managed by the United Nations Development Program. This project aims to increase family incomes by creating self-employment opportunities for women and to develop or expand existing smallenterprises. Some 150 new jobs in specific communities in the Crimea are expected to be created as a result.

The Leader Project with the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario will continue to send Canadian MBA students to Ukraine over the next two years. Students will lead courses on modern business practices in such areas as finance, marketing.