Discussion on relations between Canada and Ukraine reflect potential vs. reality (11/29/98)

Discussion on relations between Canada and Ukraine reflect potential vs. reality

by Andrij Kudla Wynnyckyj
Toronto Press Bureau

WINNIPEG - Discussions here at the Ukrainian Canadian Congress's 19th triennial conclave regarding relations between Canada and Ukraine, including those of Ukrainians on both sides of the ocean, to a large extent reflected current reality: fantastic potential, but full of sobering inadequacies.

This was evident even before the first session had taken place on October 10 in the Wellington Ballroom of the Lombard Hotel. To begin with, Canada's Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy sent his regrets, thus robbing the event of any direct potential for impact on the host country's policy.

Next, the excellently conceived idea to hear testimony from various groups who deal with their "home country," including representatives of the Jewish, Italian and Phillipino communities in Canada was scotched in the last few weeks prior to the congress.

Instead, participants were treated to a workmanlike overview of Canada-Ukraine relations by Dr. Bohdan Kordan of Thomas More College at the University of Saskatchewan. The Saskatoon-based political scientist, who is increasingly gaining a reputation for being the UCC's "in-house intellectual," subtitled his talk as a "contextual analysis" covering the years 1989-1997.

Then, Ukraine's outgoing ambassador to Canada, Volodymyr Furkalo, offered his assessment of bilateral relations between the two countries.

Dr. Kordan's "contextual analysis"

Taking the G-7's Paris Conference of 1989 as a point of departure, Dr. Kordan showed that Canada's policy towards Ukraine was initially every bit as halting and hesitant as that of the U.S., and was characterized by its own "Chicken Kiev" speech.

A highlight of this early period was a declaration made in the aftermath of the August 1991 coup by Barbara McDougall, Canada's foreign minister at the time, to the effect that, in Dr. Kordan's paraphrase, "what was of importance to Canada was the process of democratization and not necessarily those who governed."

Dr. Kordan saw this as "an extraordinary statement, demonstrating, not only a lack of appreciation of the situation in the Soviet Union and its potential consequences, but also an appalling naiveté."

Happily, the political fallout this provoked among Ukrainian Canadians eventually "forced the minister to concede that 'Canada would look to be early rather than late' " in recognizing Ukrainian independence if the "yes" side won in the December 1, 1991, referendum, regardless of the domestic implications on the Canadian unity front.

For many in the audience this served as a pointed reminder both that unconditional positive regard for Ukraine has hardly been the rule in Canadian foreign policy, and that the Ukrainian Canadian community has played an important role in affecting the formulation of this policy.

Dr. Kordan surveyed what he called "The Mulroney Years and the Politics of Neglect" characterized by a focus on the part of the government headed by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney on disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation and Crimean uncertainties. He remarked on the change heralded by the election of the Liberal government in 1993, and the landmark term of André Ouellette as foreign minister. Under Mr. Ouellette, Ukraine was first conceived of as "a natural ally" for Canada, and the troubled Canada-Ukraine Partners Program was established (in August 1994). The now-modified CUPP has shaped both the UCC's ambitions with respect to Ukraine and the handicaps it must now overcome.

Mr. Axworthy, Mr. Ouellette's successor, led a trade and development expedition to Ukraine in October 1996, paving the way for a series of ministerial visits to Kyiv (including those of Art Eggleton, first as minister of industry and trade, and then as minister of defense), as well as the establishment of the robust private-sector based Canada-Ukraine Business Initiative (in June 1997).

According to Dr. Kordan, President Leonid Kuchma's visit in 1996 "raised buoyant expectations, but commercial and trade relations have remained minimal." However, on the geopolitical stage, he said Canada has made good on its conception that Ukraine is a "natural ally."

Asked by a workshop participant for an assessment of the UCC's role in formulating Canadian foreign policy, Dr. Kordan ventured that any bureaucracy or other government agency will be resistant to input from the broader community. When control of the CUPP was transferred to the Canadian International Development Agency, Dr. Kordan said, this led to an unfortunate insulation of the program from political pressure that might be exerted by the community.

"Senior bureaucrats saw the involvement of the Ukrainian community as a hijacking of their own policy-making authority," the political scientist said.

In terms of perceptions, Dr. Kordan said the UCC had heavily damaged its credibility by allowing the closure of its Ottawa bureau. He said the UCC must roll up its sleeves and nurture a much closer relationship with Canada's senior politicians.

Ambassador Furkalo's parting praise

Ambassador Furkalo gave a presentation that was tinted with the roseate glow that a diplomat might give to a tenure that is coming to a close. In fact, the next day, Mr. Furkalo announced that he would not be staying in Canada for another three-year term (although he did not reveal at that time he was being reassigned to Belgrade.)

Ambassador Furkalo characterized Canada-Ukraine relations as one of "strategic partners and allies."

"There is no other country with which we have established a relationship of greater trust and cooperation," the departing envoy said. He credited Canadian diplomats with "the demolition of the Western approach of [setting] 'demands and conditions' [for continued diplomatic relations]," and affirmed that Canadians "broke Ukraine out of international isolation."

The Ukrainian diplomat said the agreement on cooperation in peacekeeping operations signed by Mr. Axworthy and his counterpart in Kyiv, Hennadii Udovenko, is unique in the world.

In an interesting turn of potential quid pro quo, Mr. Furkalo mentioned that Ukraine had wholeheartedly supported Canada's successful effort to secure a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council this year, and dropped a broad hint that "Ukraine is seeking a seat next year."

Mr. Furkalo said that while trade volume between the two countries "does not reflect our close ties, at G-7 meetings Canada often voluntarily intervenes on behalf of Ukraine."

Discussions and resolutions

Following the formal presentations, those in attendance broke up into three discussion groups to address the role of the UCC in shaping Canada's foreign policy, the role of the UCC with respect to the Ukrainian government and the UCC's role with respect to Ukrainian (civic and non-governmental) organizations in Ukraine.

However, while the topics were clearly outlined and the briefings provided by the Saskatoon-based scholar and the diplomat from Kyiv were stimulating in their own right, it was not exactly clear what expertise the UCC delegates could bring to bear on the questions at hand.

In the end, reopening the UCC's Ottawa bureau was seen as a priority, and a resolution mandating that the new executive do so immediately was adopted, as was a call that the UCC should "position itself as an information clearinghouse on the subject of government assistance programs, and organizations in Ukraine requiring assistance."

Another resolution mandated the UCC to "encourage local Canadian-based Ukraine-focused projects, such as student exchanges, grass-roots projects, city twinning projects, training in small business and business ethics; and consider instituting a policy of organizing one Canada-wide project annually for the participation of the entire community."

The questions of staffing, fund-raising and other logistical considerations were left to the incoming executive to resolve.

There were no resolutions concerning the UCC's role in the formulation of Canadian foreign policy, nor any dealing with the UCC's relations with the Ukrainian government.

While the UCC's adjunct Canada-Ukraine Foundation's purpose was to provide for a "clearinghouse of information" on the subjects mentioned, few delegates in the discussion groups seemed to make this connection.

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