THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

OTTAWA, Thursday, June 2, 2022
(11)

[English]

Pursuant to the order of the Senate of May 5, 2022, the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade met this day in room B30, Senate of Canada Building, and with videoconference, at 11:34 a.m. ET, the chair, the Honourable Peter M. Boehm, presiding.

Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Boehm, Greene, Harder, P.C., Kutcher and Ravalia (5).

Members of the committee present by videoconference: The Honourable Senators Boniface, Coyle, Deacon (Ontario), Gerba, MacDonald, Oh and Woo (7).

Other senators present: The Honourable Senator Omidvar (1).

Participating in the meeting: Sara Gajic, Legislative Clerk and Maritza Jean-Pierre, Administrative Assistant, Committees Directorate; Nadia Faucher and Brian Hermon, analysts, Library of Parliament.

Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Thursday, February 10, 2022, the committee continued its study on foreign relations and international trade generally. (Topic: Situation in Ukraine)

WITNESSES (by videoconference):

Embassy of Ukraine to Canada:

Yuliia Kovaliv, Ambassador-designate;

Andrii Bukvych, Chargé d’affaires.

As an individual:

Oleksandr Merezhko, Chair of the Committee on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Cooperation, Verkhovna Rada (Parliament of Ukraine).

Oleksandr Merezhko and Yuliia Kovaliv each made a statement and answered questions.

At 12:11 p.m. the Honourable Senator Woo replaced the Honourable Senator Kutcher as a member of the committee.

At 1:01 p.m., the committee suspended.

At 1:04 p.m., pursuant to rule 12-16(1)(d), the committee resumed in camera to discuss a draft report.

It was agreed that senators’ staff be permitted to remain in the room during the in camera portion of the meeting.

Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by the Senate on Wednesday, May 4, 2022, the committee continued its examination of the subject matter of those elements contained in Divisions 9, 18 and 31 of Part 5 of Bill C-19, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 7, 2022 and other measures.

The committee discussed a draft report.

It was agreed that the draft report be adopted, and that the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be empowered to approve the final version of the report, taking into consideration this meeting’s discussions, and with any necessary editorial, grammatical and translation changes required.

It was agreed that the chair be authorized to table the report in the Senate, at the earliest opportunity.

At 1:08 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the chair.

ATTEST:

Gaëtane Lemay

Clerk of the Committee