Foreign Affairs committee  Mr. Chairman, I absolutely believe that there is hope for institutional reform, and I believe that there's certainly a will among the Ukrainian people to see that reform take place. We've seen progress over the years since independence, but it has been a halting progress and has sometimes been reversed.

Foreign Affairs committee  Well, that would be a decision for the government to make. At the moment, our focus has been on strengthening the institutions in Ukraine and focusing on the broader opposition, which is of course much more than one individual.

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would say that so far the focus has really been on the judicial process and on the strengthening of democratic institutions in Ukraine. All of our messages to the leadership very much emphasize the importance of the rule of law. I can say that our ambassador has already demonstrated his interest and his support for Madam Tymoshenko.

Foreign Affairs committee  Mr. Chairman, I think Canada is thought of very highly in Ukraine. Much of this goes back to the strength of the relationship between our peoples: the tremendous contribution that of course Canadians of Ukrainian origin have made in this country, but perhaps even more important, the contribution that many of them have made to the rebuilding of Ukraine.

Foreign Affairs committee  I believe it does. Again, because of the close relationship and the support the Government of Canada and indeed the people of Canada have provided to Ukraine, I think the Ukrainian leadership does care when we deliver these kinds of tough messages. They are anxious to have Canadian parliamentarians visit their country.

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It's a very good question: how does one use the bilateral relationship to act both as an incentive and as a deterrent in this case and, indeed, in other cases? Maybe I'll start with some very specific examples and then go to the more general. In this specific case, immediately after the trial had taken place our ambassador in Kiev went to see the deputy foreign minister to deliver some very clear messages about what Canadian views might be, and I did the same thing here with the Ukrainian chargé.

Foreign Affairs committee  I have not seen those comments, no, but I'll certainly follow up and take a look.

Foreign Affairs committee  That's also a very interesting question, Mr. Chair, and it really goes right to the heart of Ukraine's place in Europe, I would say. The relationship with Russia is a complex one. In the case of this trial, it's rather interesting that the Russian government has criticized the nature of the trial and the way in which it was conducted.

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would say there's a very clear sense that this trial is politically motivated. I think that's understood in both Ukraine and abroad. Indeed, I think all of the statements that our government has made, and other governments have made as well, focus on the political nature of these charges and allegations and see this very much as interference with the judiciary.

Foreign Affairs committee  That's a very good question. I think free trade agreements are important in the sense that they open new markets and they increase international trade and investment. I think they can help foster growth and prosperity--and free markets, which is of course an important objective.

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. The honourable member I think puts a very important question before us. Indeed it's a complex issue. I would say that certainly there have been demonstrations associated with both the Tymoshenko trial and the overall situation in Ukraine--the loss of freedom, the continued abuse of human rights, the loss of press freedom, and so on.

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, we are in frequent contact with our American partners and with the European Union. We have consulted them and still consult them regularly, as well as other European countries. We have partly coordinated the messages that our ministers have sent and we are discussing the opportunities that we will have to show our dissatisfaction with the situation.

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you for this interesting question. It really goes to the heart of issue, which is how we balance, I would say, incentives with deterrence and the question of what kinds of avenues we have to continue to put pressure on the Ukrainian government while maintaining open relations with the Ukrainian people.

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair and honourable committee members. Thank you for your invitation to appear this morning. Our discussion about Ukraine is timely. The political nature of the charges against former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, the conduct of the judicial proceedings, and the sadly inevitable guilty ruling in that trial have brought into focus long-standing concerns about where Ukraine may be headed, particularly with respect to freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

Foreign Affairs committee  The honourable member is right, I think, that there is a lot of rumour right now, a lot of speculation, about various outcomes. We see a lot of commentary in the press. We certainly hear a lot of different theories from some of our sources as well. But as I said, I think that just as a decision to postpone the referendum would be destabilizing, likewise any kind of unilateral declaration would also be extremely destabilizing.