Canada spoke the truth about the Ukrainian presidential
election and has the right to do so.
Canadians should be angry about the way Ukraine has
acted in response.
KYIV - The Canadian Ambassador to Ukraine, Andrew Robinson,
issued a short statement in Kyiv on Tuesday about Canada's concerns
that the forthcoming Ukrainian presidential election will fail to meet
international democratic standards. The statement urged Ukrainian
authorities to take action to address the real serious issues addressed
in
the statement.
The statement by Canada brought up similar concerns that have been
expressed openly and widely by many democratic nations and by all
international and Ukrainian independent election monitoring
organizations. Canada is to be congratulated and supported for making
such a fair, honest, open and sincere statement.
On Wednesday the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry called Canadian
Ambassador Robinson in and strongly reprimanded him for the
statement. This action and the statements by the Ukrainian Foreign
Ministry are shocking and very alarming.
One would have expected such an action by the Foreign Ministry of the
Soviet Union twenty or thirty years ago but not by the Foreign Ministry
of a free, independent, and supposedly democratic Ukraine.
All Canadians and especially the tens of thousands of Ukrainian
Canadians should be very angry and up-in-arms about such shoddy
treatment Canada and its Ambassador to Ukraine, Andrew Robinson,
have received from the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine. They should not sit
idly by and let Ukraine get by with such classic Communist inspired
Soviet Union type behaviour.
All Ukrainians and friends of Ukraine around the world, including high-
level representatives of the United States, countries in the European
Union, and other democracies should also object strongly to this type of
treatment of Canada by Ukraine. Canada spoke the absolute truth about
the presidential election process in Ukraine and has the absolute right
to
do so.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said the statement was out of line with
Canada's interest in developing ties with Ukraine in the spirit of
partnership, mutual trust and respect. Quite the opposite is true. Ukraine
was totally out of line in reprimanding Canada in light of Ukraine's stated
interest in developing ties with Canada and other democratic nations in
the spirit of partnership, mutual trust and respect.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said such a statement gives it reason to
doubt that Ambassador Robinson informs his government about the real
situation in Ukraine in an objective manner. This statement sounds
exactly like one made in recent weeks by Soviet KGB trained Russian
President Vladimir Putin about all the ambassadors of democratic
nations who speak out about the violation of democratic principles in
Russia and Ukraine.
It is not surprising that it did not take long for the Canadian Foreign
Ministry to react to Ukraine and state strongly that its Ambassador to
Ukraine was acting on instructions from Ottawa. The Ministry said the
Ambassador was acting on behalf of the nation of Canada, not on behalf
of himself. The Canadian Foreign Ministry is to be congratulated for
having its Ambassador make such a statement about the forthcoming
Ukrainian presidential election and for coming to his defense quickly.
The Ukrainian Canadian community should immediately indicate their
support for the stand taken by the Canadian government and should also
let their friends in Ukraine know how they feel about the shoddy way
Canada has been treated by the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine. This type
of Soviet style treatment needs to stop. Ukrainian Canadians can help.
Inna Tsarkova
Political/Economic Program Officer
Canadian Embassy in Kyiv
e-mail: inna.tsarkova@dfait-maeci.gc.ca
Faxes can be sent to the Embassy at:
380 44 464 1133 and
380 44 464 1131
Letters can be sent to:
Ambassador Andrew Robinson
Embassy of Canada
31 Yaroslaviv
Val, Kyiv, Ukraine 01901.
The Embassy website is www.kyiv.gc.ca
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs can be contacted at::
H.E. Kostyantyn Hryshchenko
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
1, Mykhailivska sq., Kyiv, Ukraine 01018.
Phones: +38 (044) 226 3379, 226 3169
e-mail: zsmfa@mfa.gov.ua
http://www.mfa.gov.ua