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.
In terms of civil society, I would say that we have very good contacts on the ground. I think part of that is a result of the support that Canada has provided by helping some of these organizations develop their capacity over the years, through various technical assistance programs and so on.
Many of these NGOs have looked to Canada for advice and support over the years, so we maintain close ties with them. Certainly our embassy speaks to them and seeks their views on a regular basis.
In fact, as I mentioned, when I visited Ukraine earlier this year, in June, a good part of my program was spent meeting with NGO representatives to talk about the human rights situation, to get their perspectives on what was happening, and to talk about ways in which Canada could continue to support their efforts, which are of course aimed at strengthening Ukrainian institutions.