Shmyhal meets with Canadian FM, looking forward productive dialogue on FTA expanding

Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal met with Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly, noting that Ukraine is looking forward to a productive dialogue on expanding the Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

"Glad to welcome Foreign Minister of Canada Mélanie Joly in Kyiv. Grateful for such an important demonstration of support and openness towards strengthening Ukraine-Canada relations. We look forward to a productive dialogue on expanding the Free Trade Agreement," Shmyhal said on his Twitter page.

According to the press service of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, Shmyhal also noted that the expansion of the Free Trade Agreement for services and investments is an important element in deepening bilateral cooperation in the economic sphere.

"I believe that the announcement of the start of these talks will take place by the end of this month on the occasion of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries," the Prime Minister said, emphasizing the importance of attracting Canadian investors to implement joint projects in Ukraine.

He thanked Canada for consolidating its international position on Russia's aggressive actions.

"Under the current developments, the support of partners in improving Ukraine's defense capabilities plays a critical role. In this regard, we especially appreciate the activities of the Canadian UNIFIER training mission in Ukraine. We look forward to continuing this mission after March 2022," the head of the Ukrainian government said.

In addition, Shmyhal expressed hope for further dialogue on simplifying the travel regime for Ukrainian citizens to Canada.

"For Ukrainians, Canada is a great friend and partner. Many Ukrainian citizens live and work in Canada, many people of the two countries have family bonds. Therefore, this issue is extremely important for us," he said.

For her part, the Canadian Foreign Minister assured that Canada would provide strong support to Ukraine.

It is noted that during the meeting, in the presence of the Prime Minister of Ukraine and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Canada, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed on cooperation in providing technical assistance to the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine to improve policy formation coordination, strategic planning and monitoring, public governance processes in order to ensure that they focus on results and the needs of citizens.

Source: www.en.interfax.com.ua