Harper's office said the two leaders condemned Russia's illegal occupation of Crimea and its continuing military provocations.
Yatsenyuk expressed appreciation for the efforts Canada has made in support of Ukraine, citing in particular the plan to send up to 500 observers to monitor presidential elections next month.
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird continued his swing through eastern European capitals to rally a common front against Russia.
In Warsaw, he and his Polish counterpart Radoslaw Sikorski signed a declaration of principles and pledged to work together to strengthen democracy in Ukraine.
Baird said Canada will contribute $9.2 million to these efforts, which will include measures to fight corruption and criminality,
"Canada is pleased to be partnering with Poland on a co-ordinated approach in support of Ukraine's future as a sovereign, unified and prosperous European state, free of Russian interference and threats," he said in a statement.
He said it is important to shore up Ukraine's fragile democracy.
"Canada and Poland will explore ways to help Ukraine strengthen its institutions and restore stability because we know how important this is to any growing democracy."
The minister has been hop-scotching across eastern Europe on his mission to promote a united response to Russia's troubling moves against Ukraine.
He visited the Czech Republic on Tuesday, and went to Slovakia and Poland on Wednesday. He is scheduled to go to Latvia and Estonia as well.
He and Harper have both had harsh words for Russian President Vladimir Putin, condemning his move to snatch the Crimean Peninsula and tarring him as the biggest threat to world peace since the end of the Cold War.
In the last couple of months, the Harper government has expelled a Russian diplomat, imposed sanctions on Russian officials and institutions, co-sponsored a UN resolution on the crisis and earmarked $220 million to help stabilize the Ukrainian economy.
Harper visited Kyiv late last month.
Canada has also said it will send six CF-18 fighter-bombers to join a NATO air police mission.
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/ukraine-s-pm-thanks-canada-for-support-in-struggle-against-russia-1.1790917#ixzz2zpnWok00
24/4/14
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Štefan Füle ..European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy...Eastern Partnership: relevance and necessity clearer than ever - remarks delivered on behalf of the President of the European Commission José Manuel Durão Barroso...
ReplyDeleteHigh Level Meeting on the 5th anniversary of the Eastern Partnership
Prague, 24 April 2014
"President Zeman, Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. I regret that I cannot be with you in person today but am happy that Commissioner Füle can read out this address on my behalf at this occasion to celebrate the 5th jubilee of the Eastern Partnership. A partnership that started with a clear vision back in 2009, to one that has already made real progress. A partnership that provides us with the right direction, but that must adapt to meet our joint challenges. First and foremost I would like to sincerely thank President Zeman for this initiative and bringing you all together today.
The European Commission throughout this mandate has remained steadfast in its dedication to the Eastern Partnershipas well as to our enlargement policy, which of course next week marks the 10th anniversary of the successful entry in our Union of ten new members. And it was of course the Czech Republic which during its first presidency of the European Union, pushed forward this strategy. It ensured that the European Union had the right approach to remain open to its eastern neighbours, partners and friends.
Events today in Ukraine show that the relevance and necessity of the Eastern Partnership are clearer today than it has ever been. Because we are all going through an unprecedented period of change, and in times of change we need to work together and support each other. Our common values like peace, solidarity, diversity, democracy, human rights, the rule of law, bind us together to guide our work. And they make us equal partners, flexible enough to work together where there is a need and open enough to respect each other's traditions and other relationships. This approach has allowed us to enrich our partnership in the last five years. Politically, financially andtechnically we have been supporting your domestic reforms in governance, justice, rule of law and economy. We have been doing this with you and your governments, and just as importantly with your parliaments, businesses and groups across civil society. In total we have increased our financial support to 2.5 billion Euros for bilateral and regional programmes in support of the partnership objectives in 2010 to 2013. We have been opening up the European Union to citizens from your countries, with discussions on our VisaFacilitation and the Re-admission Agreements. Short term travel without visas, access to our Erasmus+ programme for education and training, and also joint cultural programmes and our horizon 2020 programme on research and innovation.......etc.........http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-14-336_en.htm?locale=en
24/4/14
Le Canada participe à l’escalade militaire de l’OTAN contre la Russie...
ReplyDeleteLe premier ministre Stephen Harper a annoncé jeudi dernier que le Canada envoyait six avions de combat CF-18 en Europe de l’Est, en appui aux menaces belliqueuses proférées contre la Russie par les États-Unis, l’Allemagne et l’OTAN.
Harper a aussi affirmé que le Canada et les Forces armées canadiennes (FAC) allaient renforcer leur présence dans le commandement de l’OTAN et envoyer des dizaines d’officiers des FAC de plus aux quartiers généraux de l’OTAN à Mons en Belgique.
Il a laissé entendre que d’autres déploiements des FAC pourraient être annoncés bientôt et que le Canada pourraient imposer, conjointement avec les États-Unis et l’Union européenne, des sanctions supplémentaires aux entreprises et officiels russes.
Depuis des semaines, Harper et les conservateurs font des déclarations belliqueuses anti-russes avec l’appui enthousiaste des partis de l’opposition et des grands médias canadiens.
Présentant une image inversée de la réalité, ils qualifient de «révolution démocratique» le coup d’État instigué par les États-Unis et l’Allemagne et mené par des bandes fascistes qui a renversé le président élu de l’Ukraine. Ils accusent la Russie d’«agression» et d’«impérialisme», alors que ce sont les puissances occidentales elles-mêmes qui sont intervenues agressivement en Ukraine pour mettre en place un régime fantoche pro-occidental, en sachant très bien que la subordination de l’Ukraine à l’impérialisme américain et allemand pose une menace mortelle à la Russie.
Les soldats, les pilotes et le personnel des FAC seront basés à Lask en Pologne. Ils seront intégrés aux patrouilles de l’OTAN dans la mer Baltique et en Europe de l’Est. Le renforcement de ces patrouilles est un élément central dans le déploiement accru de l’OTAN en Europe de l’Est, un plan qui a été annoncé mercredi dernier par le secrétaire général de l’OTAN, Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
Présenté comme un «plan de sécurisation» pour les États voisins de la Russie qui ont été intégrés à l’OTAN au cours des deux dernières décennies, le déploiement de l’OTAN en Europe de l’Est est un acte d’agression qui vise à défendre le gouvernement d’extrême droite installé à Kiev et préparer le terrain à une guerre contre la Russie.
Flanqué du chef d’État-major des FAC, le général Tom Lawson, Harper a dit que le déploiement est pour une durée indéterminée et que ce n’est que la première étape d’un virage important dans l’attitude militaire et stratégique du Canada.
L’«expansionnisme» et le «militarisme» de la Russie constituent, selon Harper, «une grave menace à la paix et la sécurité mondiales»..................http://www.mondialisation.ca/le-canada-participe-a-lescalade-militaire-de-lotan-contre-la-russie/5379093?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=le-canada-participe-a-lescalade-militaire-de-lotan-contre-la-russie
25/4/14
Canada will have to pay – both in terms of money and reputation – for a decision to ditch the launch of its satellite by a Russian rocket, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said Friday.....
ReplyDeleteCommenting on the Canadian media reports that the government’s hard line on sanctions against Russia has scuttled the launch of what was described to be a “key Canadian military satellite,” Rogozin wrote in his Twitter that Canada will “certainly” have to pay the forfeit.
In addition, the Canadian government exposed the true military purpose of its satellite, claimed to be a civilian one, he said.
“The Canadians screwed things up. They refused to launch the satellite and admitted that it was a military one, despite earlier assurances of its civilian purpose,” Rogozin said.
The M3MSat was to be launched from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan on June 19. The spacecraft is intended for sea surveillance and was to operate jointly with the RADARSAT-2 orbiter.
Canadian media said the government was currently looking for another state or private space contractor to carry out the launch.
Canada was among the first to join targeted sanctions, including asset freezes and visa bans, imposed on a number of senior Russian officials and businessmen whom the West accuses of involvement in Crimea's reunification with Russia.
A number of Western officials have since been calling for even tougher sanctions on Russia, including against key sectors of its economy – such as space, defense and energy.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper earlier said that Ottawa could impose sanctions targeting Russian banks.
On Tuesday, Moscow expelled the first secretary of the Canadian embassy in Moscow in response to the recent expulsion of a staff member of the Russian embassy in Ottawa, a source in the Russian Foreign Ministry told RIA Novosti.
http://en.ria.ru/world/20140425/189368748/Canada-to-Pay-for-Ditched-Launch-Contract-with-Russia---Moscow.html
25/4/14