Mr. Speaker, I was warmly welcomed on the tenth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Canada and the Ukraine. As my hon. colleague knows, there are one million Canadians of Ukraine heritage who call Canada home and they form a vital and valued part of Canadian society.
I met with foreign minister Zlenko and other senior members of the Ukrainian government where I strongly emphasized Canada's commitment to the conduct of free and fair parliamentary elections and I strongly reiterated Canada's support for Ukraine's efforts in the area of political and economic reform. The federal government will continue to call for closer ties with Ukraine.