Ottawa, November 24, 2008 -Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney returned to Canada today after travelling to Kyiv to represent the Government of Canada at the 75th anniversary of the Holodomor, the 1932–33 famine-genocide in Ukraine in which millions died.
"I was honoured to visit Ukraine and join dignitaries to mark an event that was a horrendous crime against humanity," said Minister Kenney. "Canada is committed to honouring the memory of those who died during this genocide and preventing such atrocities in the future."
The Minister participated in an international forum entitled "My People Will Live Forever" along with five heads of state and representatives of several governments and international organizations. Last year at UNESCO, Canada co-sponsored Ukraine's motion to honour the millions who perished in the man-made famine and to acknowledge that their deaths were caused by the brutal communist dictatorship of Josef Stalin.
During his trip, Minister Kenney also visited the site of the Babyn Yar massacre in Kyiv, where more than 33,000 Jewish people were killed over a two-day period during World War II and where over 100,000 Jewish and non-Jewish victims of Nazi terror are estimated to be buried. Holocaust education and combatting anti-Semitism are important priorities for the Government of Canada.
Minister Kenney also took the opportunity to meet with Ukrainian President Yushchenko, Prime Minister Tymoshenko, Deputy Prime Minister Vasiunyk, and Foreign Minister Ohryzko and further strengthen Canada's longstanding partnership with Ukraine.
He also addressed members of the Ukrainian-Canadian business and cultural communities and held a teleconference with Ukrainian-Canadian and other media.
For more information on CIC programs, please visit www.cic.gc.ca.
For further information (media only), please contact:
Alykhan Velshi
Minister's Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-954-1064
Media Relations
Communications Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-952-1650
