Recently some media started spreading information that Canada put the negotiations on the free trade area with Ukraine on hold. Indeed, such news comes as a surprise from the country, which Canadians themselves call “the most Ukrainian land.” The Day got a chance to talk to the Canadian MP James BEZAN, who kindly received our reporter right after a debate in the House of Commons.
Some observers say that the Speech from the Throne, delivered on October 16 at the Canadian Senate, gave a start to the 2015 election campaign.
“Politicians always lead campaigns. Yes, we reached half of this parliament’s term, it is time to reload the agenda, offer a variety of plans for the next two years. I think that the strong speech clearly demonstrated this focus and the way we are going to move forward from the legislative and political points of view. We have just signed a free trade area agreement with the EU, which the majority of Canadians is going to benefit from.”
But why were the FTA negotiations with Ukraine put on hold?
“It is an interesting question. A few weeks ago I had a meeting with the Ukrainian ambassador, and we talked about the cooperation between Ukraine and the EU. We are going to resume the discussions about the FTA with Ukraine and we are going to be more ambitious. Having said that, I want to remind that Europeans voiced their concern over the state of affairs in Ukraine. For example, over Yulia Tymoshenko and other opposition leaders’ continued imprisonment. The majority of them are released as of now, but Tymoshenko is still in prison. We want to see her released. We want to make sure that democracy and the rule of law are respected by the government in Ukraine.
“As for the FTA negotiations between Canada and Ukraine, after Ukraine joined the WTO, the first thing Ukraine’s government did was to announce the revision of tariffs for 271 various goods. Overall 61 percent of those goods was Canadian agricultural produce. It was a hard blow for us. Talking about free trade and at the same time applying tariffs to our goods and services looks like hypocrisy to us, rather than demonstration of goodwill. If we are going to settle this matter, then we will be able to approach the much more ambitious FTA, especially considering the fact that president Yanukovych and his government want to cooperate with the West more than with the Russian Federation.”
So, the main reason negotiations were canceled was Ukraine’s intention to review some tariffs, caused by its joining the WTO?
“Yes.”
And it is not because of Tymoshenko, as some representatives of the Ukrainian diaspora in Ottawa say?
“No. However, it can be said that an accumulation of factors took place here. Just like Europeans, we approached the conference between the Ukrainian government and the EU, when both sides talk more about cooperation and trade agreement between Ukraine and Europe. They have a list of requirements, which they handed over to Ukraine, and they want to see the requirements have been fulfilled at the meeting in Vilnius. And everything comes down to where Ukraine is moving in the sense of democratic reforms, suppression of political opposition and its leaders, like Yulia Tymoshenko.”
When can and should the negotiations between our countries resume?
“We will see what happens between the EU and Ukraine. And then we will resume the negotiations and be more ambitious. There is no doubt now that the possibility of that happening is real. The Verkhovna Rada speaker is coming to Canada with a visit at the end of November, and maybe that is when we will be able to resume the negotiations.”
It is often said in your country that “Canada is the most Ukrainian country” in the world, but how is this slogan implemented in real life? We do not see Canada’s efforts that would promote, for example, closer relations between Ukraine and the EU.
“Exactly. We do not want Ukraine to be isolated. And it goes without saying that the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and other organizations that unite Ukrainian Canadians, and also Ukraine’s friends along with the Canada-Ukraine Business Council work with the Ukrainian parliament and various organizations, civic society, and businesses, trying to implement transformations in Ukraine.
“On the other hand, the government’s activity is based on principles. And Canadians expect that Ukraine will adhere to them. Elections in five districts are to take place soon. If we see that democratic norms are neglected in Ukraine, the election is rigged, I do not think that the Canadian government will turn a blind eye to all this and help Ukraine move towards Europe. The Ukrainian government and president Yanukovych have to demonstrate goodwill in order to relieve the anxiety that bothers Canada, the EU, and other Western countries. If we see that the government is sincere and pragmatic, then the negotiations will resume, I think.”
What can Canada really do to help Ukraine move towards the EU?
“If all the concerns, especially the ones that come from Europe, are seriously considered and actively resolved, we will talk to our friends in the EU to encourage them to successfully complete the negotiations on Ukraine’s European integration. We are a member of NORAD, official observers at the OSCE, so we will continue working with our European colleagues. By the way, I have been an observer myself at the past parliamentary elections as a part of the OSCE delegation. We are also going to use our parliamentary connections with the EU to promote this.”
Can Canadians of Ukrainian descent really influence the policies of the government?
“Of course, there is a large number of Ukrainian voters here. As I have already said, most of them arrived from Western Ukraine. My grandparents came from Bukovyna. And the majority of Ukrainian population in Manitoba is from Galicia. And all of them have views typical for residents of western Ukraine. We are very proud of our Ukrainian origin. When it comes to influence, the Ukrainian community has its own say in the elections, there are plenty of Ukrainians in the parliament and government in general. That is why we actively voice our concerns about certain actions of the Ukrainian government to our Prime Minister Harper, to trade minister, and to foreign minister. But at the same time, we know that cooperation between Ukraine and the EU is important for all Ukrainians, and not only for oligarchs or the government. And I strongly believe that the wave that is rising is going to bring up a lot of dirt. If we improve prosperity for Ukrainians, the whole population will see the living standards rise, and we will see that the general productivity will grow as well.
“Such possibility is real. It is likely that Russia will be disappointed if Ukraine succeeds. At the same time, Russia needs Ukraine, and all Ukrainians have to do is diversify their market economy, which is almost purely Russian, in order to be able to service the entire European continent.”
What keeps Canadian business, people who know the Ukrainian language and can use it, from entering Ukrainian market, like American companies do it now by starting the extraction of shale gas in Ukraine?
“In fact, there is a company that deals in pipelines and shale gas exploration in Ukraine now. But in order to increase the Canadian presence in Ukraine, we need not only the free trade area agreement, but also an agreement on investment protection. Canadian investors and businessmen can invest in Ukraine and expand their business there only when they know that at some point they will not be nationalized. Canadian businessmen are cautious. Besides the energy sector, there are opportunities in Ukraine’s agriculture and industry. For example, in the production of helicopters, which play an important role in the Canadian army.”
By the way, what can you say about the role of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)? The Ukrainian diaspora says that Canada provides much money to help countries in Africa, while it could give more to Ukraine. How can you comment on that?
“You must agree that in general, Europe is much better off than Africa. We see much more poverty on the African continent. Ukraine is the last European country that receives aid from Canada. I hope that Ukraine will proudly develop its economy through the cooperation with Europe, Canada, and other countries. I hope that aid for all the countries will remain in the past, excluding Africa.
“Ukraine has plenty of natural resources and a large educated population. Get rid of corruption, shady governmental decisions, and then Ukraine will become a big player in the world economy.”
Can Canada’s bilingual experience become a model for Ukraine to follow? Some political forces in Ukraine often talk about this.
“I think that the Ukrainian language must be official. But there is a reality, produced by the Holodomor, by genocide, when many Ukrainians were killed in the north and the east, and eventually Russian immigration took place and Russian population replaced the exterminated Ukrainians. They are Ukrainians now, but they speak Russian. You have indeed a bilingual society, and there is no avoiding the fact. Ukraine has to live with two languages: Ukrainian and Russian. This is the reality, and you have to face it.
“Three languages are spoken in my native Ukrainian village, Romanian is added to the previous two. This part of Ukraine had been ruled by Russia and Austria. By the way, my parents emigrated with Austrian passports. Language and culture will survive generations. The reality is that Ukrainian and Russian languages are very strong in Ukraine.”
Canadian values are often emphasized in your country. Why does it happen, are your values different from the European ones?
“I think that we need a set of values, on which the majority of Canadians would rely. The same applies to Ukrainians and Americans. I do not think that we should be mirroring each other. We need to show something that makes us different from each other in the cultural sense and in terms of values. But the majority of Western democracies share a number of genuine values: the rule of law, strong democracy, and human rights which are always protected. We all must strive for these values and implement them in our societies.”
It seems to me that from what I have heard while communicating with the diaspora representatives, people in Canada do not have a full understanding of what is happening in Ukraine, for example, in the Tymoshenko case. Do you think that there is a need for a new channel of information exchange between Canada and Ukraine, for Canada to know more about the events in Ukraine?
“In 2010, during Prime Minister Harper’s visit to Ukraine, we signed an agreement on youth mobility. All we need to do is implement this agreement. I think we need to promote such kind of youth exchange more actively. Visa regime simplification for everyone, not only for the youth, could become another step in this direction.”
