OTTAWA – Legendary Crimean Tatar leader Mustafa Dzhemilev held several informative briefings on Parliament Hill on May 18.
Meetings arranged by the chair of the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group, Member of Parliament Borys Wrzesnewskyj, included those with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Pamela Goldsmith-Jones.
During the meetings, both the prime minister and the foreign minister reiterated to Mr. Dzhemilev that Canada does not, and will not, accept Russia’s military invasion and illegal occupation of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, and that Canada stands shoulder to shoulder with the indigenous Crimean Tatar people.
Mr. Wrzesnewskyj hosted a dinner in honor of Mr. Dzhemilev that was attended by executive members of the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group (CUPFG), who all are members of Parliament, and members of the diplomatic corps. In attendance were: CUPFG Vice-Chairs James Bezan, Linda Duncan and James Maloney; CUPFG Directors Kyle Peterson and Don Rusnak; Turkish Ambassador Selçuk Ünal; Ukrainian Ambassador Andriy Shevchenko; Lithuanian Ambassador Vytautas Žalys; German Embassy Deputy Head of Mission Joern Roesenberg; and Polish Embassy First Counselor and Chargé d’Affaires Lukasz Weremiuk.
Mustafa Dzhemilev meets with Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, along with Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group (CUPFG) Chair MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj (right) and Ukrainian Ambassador Andriy Shevchenko (left).