Canada’s observation mission to Ukraine to be headed by former foreign minister

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said this in a statement, Global Affairs Canada reported.

“Free and fair elections are a fundamental part of democracy. They foster transparency and promote accountability. I am pleased to announce that the Honourable Lloyd Axworthy, who led the Canadian delegation of election observers for Ukraine’s presidential elections, will be returning as the head of Canada’s election observation mission during Ukraine’s upcoming parliamentary elections,” Freeland said.

In April, as the senior representative, Dr. Axworthy led Canada’s election observation mission and provided a thorough assessment of the electoral process in Ukraine. His stakeholder engagement and his work on issues such as foreign interference, cyber threats and women’s participation in the electoral process, shared in his report, proved to be invaluable for Ukraine and Canada.

Freeland added that Canada had already sent 65 long-term observers to Ukraine. ”They will continue to establish contact with local authorities and civil society, including women’s organizations and minority groups, in their areas of deployment to collect a wide range of views on all the steps of the electoral process and provide an in-depth analysis for the reports on the parliamentary elections,” she said.

The minister noted that ”Canada can be relied upon to stand up for the people of Ukraine and for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

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