Kootenay-Columbia MP Wayne Stetski is joining the House of Commons standing committee on foreign affairs and international development as it leaves today on a 12-day diplomatic mission to four countries – Ukraine, Latvia and Poland in Eastern Europe, and Kazakhstan in Central Asia.
According to a news release, the purpose of the Committee’s travel is to learn about key political, security and other issues in these countries through meetings with a variety of stakeholders. This will allow committee members to understand the Canadian interests that are at stake, the kinds of assistance and engagement that countries in these regions are seeking from Canada, and the optimal approach for Canada’s policies toward them. The committee will hold hearings in Ottawa on these subjects following the completion of the mission.
“It will be a tremendous honour to represent Canada on this trip and take part in the important work of strengthening relationships with the nations we are visiting,” Stetski said in a prepared statement. “It’s all about showing Canada’s support for these countries and then talking about trade and talking about peace.”
While all of the countries being visited were either part of – or dominated by – the Soviet Union during the Cold War, the political and economic transitions they have experienced over the past 25 years have been distinct and varied.