Immediate Release – Vancouver, BC, November 24, 2013
On November 21, 2013, the Government of Ukraine made a decision to suspend the signing of EU-Ukraine Association Agreement and to resume an active dialogue with the Russian Federation and other member countries of the Customs Union.
The Ukrainian community today gathered in downtown Vancouver in solidarity with the estimated 100,000 demonstrators in Kyiv’s EuroMaidan (Independence Square). Similar rallies also took place in other Canadian cities. Due to the time difference, Vancouver was the last city to hold its rally, at 1pm PST.
Vancouver downtown, 24.11.2013 (Photo: Stanislav Nastenko)
The people of Ukraine are demanding the Ukrainian government reverse course and sign a landmark agreement with the European Union in defiance of Russia.
“This is such a vital time to show Ukraine our international support. Even though we are nearly 8,650 kilometres away, our voice is heard loud and clear via social media channels. We are showing the Ukrainian Government that the whole world is watching,” says demonstrator and Ukrainian Vancouver leader Svitlana Kominko.
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) and its member organizations are calling upon Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovych to immediately take the necessary steps to ratify the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement during the Third Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius this week, on 28-29 November 2013.