Ukrainian Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk has met with Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine Larisa Galadza. The Feb. 10 meeting is their first official interaction since Galadza was appointed as ambassador on Nov. 4.
The two officials discussed a several key issues in bilateral relations between the countries. Among the most important subjects were visas for Ukrainian travelers to Canada and the free trade agreement between the two countries.
Visa facilitation for Ukrainians
Canada is home to 1.3 million citizens of Ukrainian ancestry, or 3 percent of the population, giving both nations a natural affinity for each other. However, the Canadian government is hesitant to follow the EU’s lead and begin lifting visa requirements for Ukraine.
Currently, Ukrainians who want to visit Canada face multiple restrictions and costs related to obtaining a temporary resident visa which allows them to travel and stay in the country for up to six months. Travelers have to submit valid health insurance, proof of employment and sufficient financial means, a letter of invitation with documents related to the purpose of travel.
The process takes up to a week and costs around $140 (this includes visa fees, finger print scans, and other biometric services, which are required for travel). Even once that is done, there’s no guarantee that a visa will be forthcoming and the denial rate remains high. In the first months of 2019, Canada denied visas for 23% of applicants from Ukraine. Ukraine abolished visas for Canadians as early as 2005.
“We are committed to shaping a dialogue that will yield real results in the process of visa waiver for Ukrainians,” Honcharuk said during the meeting. “Last year, we were invited to join the eTA + program.”
The eTA or Electronic Travel Authorization program allows those who have been granted a Canadian tourist visa during the past 10 years to receive electronic authorization for subsequent journeys to Canada, which can be done online for $7.
“Already this May, we look forward to the arrival of a special assessment mission from the Immigration Department of Canada,” Honcharuk continued. “Our Government will exert maximum efforts to assist it, so we hope that, in the near future, we will have positive results toward the Ukrainian-Canadian visa waiver.”
Free Trade Agreement
Extending the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement (CUFTA) was another topic for discussion. Honcharuk said that “the most pressing issue” of bilateral relations is the extension of the FTA to the field of services and investments.
“According to my information, technical consultations at the expert level are completed. We now need to kick off formal negotiations on the extension. It is important that the relevant directives from the Government of Canada and the President of Ukraine are received in the coming weeks,” the prime minister said.
Oleksandra Brovko, senior trade and investment policy expert at the Canada-Ukraine Trade and Investment Support Project (CUTIS) says it is high time for the two countries to further discuss the details of the trade agreement.
“Ukraine and Canada are now ready to launch a new round of negotiations to agree on a new text of the agreement — in fact, the agreement will be revised by amending the text in regard to trade in services and investment protection, while other provisions of the agreement will remain unchanged,” she told the Kyiv Post. “The free trade agreement itself stipulates that, from the moment, of entering into the agreement the parties have two years to start new negotiations for the liberalization of trade in services and incorporating investment issues into the investment agreement. Ukrainian negotiators must now be given a negotiating mandate to agree on the text of the new agreement.”
When CUFTA entered into force in 2017, Canada immediately eliminated tariffs on 99.9% of imports from Ukraine, including 99.9% manufactured products, all fish and seafood, as well as 99.9% of agricultural imports. Key products from Ukraine that benefited from this duty-free access include: sunflower oil, sugar and chocolate confectioneries, baked goods, vodka, iron and steel, apparel and ceramics and minerals.
However, over-quota tariffs for supply-managed products (dairy, poultry and eggs) remain, and no import quotas for these products were increased or established.
Support for Canadian business and youth mobility
The prime minister also discussed with the ambassador the revision of the Export Development Canada (EDC) investment policy and unblocking support for Canadian businesses that invest in Ukraine. Honcharuk aired a proposal to identify steps that would allow the project to review its assessment of investment opportunities in Ukraine. Galadza said that the Government of Canada will pay due attention to informing EDC of all opportunities and conditions that Ukraine offers to Canadian investors.
They also talked about the Youth Mobility Agreement that was a topic of discussion between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during the Ukraine Reform Conference in July. The idea is to improve student exchanges and youth work permits between the two countries. Honcharuk said that the Ukrainian government is working to finalize its bilateral Youth Mobility Agreement and is keen to discuss all the necessary details with the Canadian side.
At the end of the meeting, Honcharuk talked about deepening cooperation within the development and democracy promotion programs supported by the Canadian government and about strategic communications, privatization and the creation of a single emergency hotline in Ukraine.
