On Thursday, September 28, the NATO Association of Canada (NAOC) welcomed Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine for Europe and Euro-Atlantic Integration, to Toronto with a reception at the Royal Canadian Military Institute. The private event was sponsored by the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF). Ms. Klympush-Tsintsadze was in Toronto to attend the Invictus Games.
In his introduction for the Vice Prime Minister, President of NAOC Robert C.J. Baines emphasized the importance of establishing greater relations between NATO and Ukraine. During her speech, Ms. Klympush-Tsintsadze said her country was firmly a part of the European community and discussed the Ukrainian government’s efforts to align itself with its western European allies within the European Union (EU) and NATO. She also spoke of the harrowing experience endured by eastern Ukrainians in their struggle against Russian-supported insurgents. In this vein, the Vice Prime Minister highlighted the recent English-release of Donbas In Flames: A Guide to the Conflict Zone which comprehensively details the ongoing conflict in this region.
Speaking on behalf of the CUF, Victor Hetmanczuk, the organization’s president, echoed the importance of continued NATO-Ukraine relations and discussed his group’s efforts to support surgical missions to treat those affected by the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Photos courtesy of Eric Morse and Simon Hakim.
