NAIROBI, Kenya – Canada’s Minister of International Trade Chrystia Freeland, together with Minister of International Development and La Francophonie Marie-Claude Bibeau, on December 17, 2015, announced funding to increase trade and investment between Canada and Ukraine that will help small and medium-sized enterprises in Ukraine access Canadian and global markets.
Canada will contribute $13.6 million to the Canada-Ukraine Trade and Investment Support project between 2016 and 2021.
Minister Freeland made the announcement following her meeting with Nataliya Mykolska, deputy minister of economic development and trade, trade representative of Ukraine, on the margins of the World Trade Organization’s 10th Ministerial Conference in Nairobi, Kenya.
The government of Canada is partnering with the Conference Board of Canada and the Canada-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce to deliver the Canada-Ukraine Trade and Investment Support project. The project will equip small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly those led by women, with the tools, training and knowledge necessary to export their products and services to Canadian and other markets and to attract Canadian investment to expand their businesses.
The project will also help the Ukrainian government develop investment attraction and diversification strategies, as well as conduct market research to facilitate increased trade and investment between Canada and Ukraine. In addition, Canada will provide technical assistance to help Ukraine’s public and private sectors identify and take advantage of new trade opportunities resulting from the implementation of the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement (CUFTA).
Minister Freeland commented: “Canada is committed to supporting Ukraine’s government and private sector to take advantage of new trade opportunities arising from implementation of the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement. By bolstering the growth and competitiveness of Ukraine’s small and medium-sized businesses, we are building mutual prosperity for both our countries.”