REPORT

INTRODUCTION

The Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association has the honour to report on its participation in the 2022 Spring Session of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA), which took place in Vilnius, Lithuania, from 25-30 May 2022. The Canadian delegation comprised the following members:

• Ms. Julie Dzerowicz, M.P., NATO PA Vice-President and Head of the Canadian delegation
• The Honourable Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu, Senator
• The Honourable Jane Cordy, Senator
• The Honourable John McKay, M.P.
• Ms. Rachel Blaney, M.P.
• Mr. Darren Fisher, M.P.
• Ms. Cheryl Gallant, M.P.
• Ms. Christine Normandin, M.P. and
• Mr. Pierre Paul-Hus, M.P.

The delegation was accompanied by Céline Ethier, Association Secretary.

THE NATO PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY

Established in 1955, the NATO PA is an interparliamentary organization that brings together legislators from the national parliaments of the 30 member countries of NATO[1], as well as 11 associate member countries[2]. It is institutionally separate and independent from the official NATO structure, but serves as a liaison for NATO and member parliaments[3]. The NATO PA aims to strengthen parliamentary awareness, understanding and oversight of defence and security issues, while also enhancing the transparency of NATO policies. The Assembly also plays a significant role in deepening the transatlantic relationship that underpins the NATO Alliance.

The NATO PA has five thematic Committees:

• the Defence and Security Committee
• the Political Committee
• the Committee on Democracy and Security
• the Science and Technology Committee and
• the Economics and Security Committee.

Each of these committees has one or two sub-committees. As the members of parliamentary committees do, NATO PA committee members hear from defence and security experts and conduct fact-finding missions throughout the year, which culminate in the drafting of reports and resolutions. The draft reports and resolutions are considered during NATO PA Sessions.

THE 2022 SPRING SESSION

The 2022 Spring Session was hosted by the Parliament of Lithuania and chaired by NATO PA President, Mr. Gerald Connolly (United States). This session was initially expected to be held in Kyiv, but following Russia’s most recent invasion of Ukraine, Lithuania’s parliament – the Seimas – offered to host the event. Parliamentarians, experts, and observers from NATO member countries and partner nations, participated in the session.

Participants discussed a range of topics, including the following:

• The situation in Ukraine
• The impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine on the Western Balkans
• The impact of climate change on Allied civil security and possible mitigation and adaptation strategies
• The need to reinforce critical infrastructure defence against cyberthreats
• The evolving threats and challenges posed by terrorism and corruption
• How to secure essential industries and supply chains
• NATO and the Indo-Pacific Region
• Developments in Afghanistan
• Shared migration challenges and
• NATO’s political and security adaptation in response to Russia’s war.

The program included meetings of the Bureau[4], the Standing Committee[5], each of the thematic committees, as well as a Plenary Session. A NATO PA coordination meeting involving members of the Bureau, Chairpersons of Committees and Subcommittees, and Rapporteurs was also held.

Delegates also met with counterparts of their respective political groups from across the NATO Alliance countries: Conservative, Christian Democrat and Associates; Alliance of Liberals and Democrats; and Socialists. These meetings allow NATO parliamentarians from similar political parties to forge relationships that nourish parliamentary diplomacy and discuss issues of mutual interest.

SUMMARY OF DISCUSSIONS

A. Bureau Meeting

The Bureau met in camera on Friday, 27 May 2022, to review administrative reports and the proposed Assembly work plan before they were presented to the Standing Committee.

Canadian Participation:

MP Julie Dzerowicz attended in her capacity as NATO PA Vice-president.

B. Standing Committee

The Standing Committee met on Friday, 27 May 2022, to receive updates from the Assembly’s leadership, to plan for upcoming activities and to address various administrative matters. NATO PA President Gerald Connolly thanked the Lithuanian delegation for having agreed to host the Spring Session on short notice.

Ms Olha Vitaliyivna Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine and Government’s Coordinator of Humanitarian Aid, addressed Russia’s violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, briefed the members on the state of the war in her country and provided a list of steps that Allied countries could take to further support Ukraine. She concluded by welcoming Sweden’s and Finland’s applications to join NATO and hoped that Ukraine’s application for membership to NATO and to the EU would also be supported.

The Standing Committee then considered amendments to two draft declarations, one entitled Standing with Ukraine, which was presented by Michal Szczerba (Poland), Co-Chairperson of the Ukraine-NATO Interparliamentary Council, and the other entitled Confronting Russia’s Threat, presented by Gerald Connolly (United States), President of the NATO PA. After discussion, the draft declarations were adopted as amended.

The NATO PA Treasurer then presented financial documents including the draft budget for 2023, which proposed an increase of 7.8%, which would be in line with the latest inflation rate in the European Union. He noted that the proposal could be adjusted depending on developments. The Standing Committee also approved the strategic plan for the use of the Assembly provisions.

Finally, NATO PA Secretary General Ruxandra Popa outlined upcoming Assembly activities. She noted that hosts were needed for the Annual Session of 2024, Standing Committees from 2025 and spring sessions from 2026.

Canadian Participation:

Senator Jane Cordy and Pierre Paul-Hus, M.P., represented the Canadian delegation at the Standing Committee meeting. MP Julie Dzerowicz attended in her capacity as NATO PA Vice-president. Both MPs Dzerowicz and Paul-Hus intervened during debate on the amendments to the draft declarations.

C. Committee Business

NATO PA Committees met simultaneously over the course of two days from May 28-29, 2022. During these meetings, participants heard from parliamentarians from Lithuania and from Ukraine and from military and academic experts on topics of interest to the Alliance. Members also debated and adopted draft reports.

1. Committee on Democracy and Security[6]

This committee met on May 29th and heard from four speakers on a range of issues:

• Dainius Kreivys, Minister of Energy of the Republic of Lithuania, spoke of his country’s perspective on energy security and resilience.
• Irene Fellin, NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security, discussed NATO’s approach to the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda and the nexus between gender, climate change and resilience.
• Olha Vitaliyivna Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine and Government’s Coordinator of Humanitarian Aid, addressed Russia’s violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. She urged Allied countries to scale up support for the Ukrainian population at the same time as providing military support.
• Konstantin Von Eggert, journalist, political analyst and communications consultant, discussed Russia’s information warfare strategies in the context of its renewed aggression against Ukraine.

Draft reports were presented and debated[7]. Lastly, the Committee discussed its studies and activities for 2022.

Canadian Participation:

Senators Jane Cordy and Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu and MPs Julie Dzerowicz, Rachel Blaney and Cheryl Gallant were present and participated in the discussions. MP Dzerowicz asked about the role of nuclear and renewable energy production in strengthening Lithuania’s energy security as well as what could be done to reduce the carbon footprint of the military. Senator Cordy and MP Dzerowicz inquired about impact of the war on the living standard in Russia as well as the level of disillusionment with politics among Russian citizens.

2. Defence and Security Committee[8]

The Defence and Security Committee met on May 29th to hear from three speakers:

• Arvydas Anusauskas, Minister of National Defence of Lithuania, discussed the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Lithuanian defence policy.
• Oleksii Reznikov, Minister of Defence of Ukraine, updated the participants on the situation in Ukraine and the need for more weaponry.
• Michael Kofman, Director, Russia Studies Programme, Centre for Naval Analyses presented an analysis of Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine.

The Committee’s rapporteurs presented their respective draft reports[9] and upcoming studies and activities for 2022 were discussed.

Canadian Participation:

Senator Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu (Vice-President of the Sub-Committee on Future Security and Defence Capabilities) and MPs Darren Fisher, Cheryl Gallant, John McKay, Christine Normandin and Pierre Paul-Hus participated in this meeting.

Canadian delegates were active and engaged during this meeting. MP Normandin enquired about how to distinguish between non-state and state actors in the case of cyber attacks where NATO’s Article 5 would be invoked. MP Paul-Hus asked about the readiness of Allied forces regarding the use of cyber operations. MP Fisher congratulated France for leading the way on financial intelligence regarding Russia’s frozen assets and enquired about the work of other Allies on such matters, and MP Gallant noted that Allies should further publicly empathize the need for Russia to respect Ukrainian sovereignty.

3. Economics and Security Committee[10]

The Committee met on May 28th and heard from three speakers:

• Gintarė Skaistè, Minister of Finance of Lithuania, who spoke about the economic consequences of Russia’s unprovoked war for Lithuania and the Global Economy.
• Denys Kudin, First Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine, who outlined the economic impact of the war on Ukraine’s economy and discussed post-war reconstruction and development plans.
• Vladimir Milov, Russian opposition politician and economic and international affairs advisor to Alexey Navalny, who spoke on the impact of the war on Russia’s immediate and long-term economic prospects.

The Committee’s rapporteurs presented their draft reports and the studies and upcoming activities for 2022 were discussed[11].

Canadian Participation:

Senator Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu and MPs Rachel Blaney and the Hon. John McKay represented the Canadian delegation. MP McKay asked about the implications of inflation on weapons procurement and MP Blaney addressed challenges to the free press and the growing threat of misinformation during the meeting.

4. Political Committee[12]

The Political Committee met on May 28th and heard from four speakers:

• Gabrielius Landsbergis, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania, presented the Lithuanian perspective on Euro-Atlantic security challenges in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
• Emine Dzhaparova, First Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, briefed the attendees on the war raging in her country and took questions.
• Vladimir Milov, Russian Opposition Politician and Economic and International Affairs Advisor to Alexey Navalny, discussed how the Russian society perceived the war in Ukraine and described the efforts his group was making to counter the Russian regime’s censorship and the information war.
• Franak Viacorka, Senior Advisor to Belarusian Opposition Leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, focused his remarks on the implications of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the political developments in Belarus.

The Committee’s rapporteurs presented their respective draft reports[13]. The Committee then discussed its studies and activities for 2022.

Canadian participation:

MPs Julie Dzerowicz, Darren Fisher and Cheryl Gallant attended the meeting. MP Dzerowicz asked questions focused on countering Russian propaganda, blocked grain exports and nuclear saber rattling.

5. Science and Technology Committee[14]

The Science and Technology Committee met on May 28th and heard presentations from four speakers:

• Jovita Neliupsiene, Vice-Minister, Ministry of Economics and Innovation, Republic of Lithuania, spoke of her country’s Innovation Pipeline and of its specialization in laser technology, future mobility, life sciences, information technology and cybersecurity.
• Georhii Dubynskyi, Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, detailed the achievements of his ministry, which, despite the war, continues to provide Ukrainian citizens access digital public services via the platform Diia. He noted how useful having access to digital documents has been to citizens affected by the conflict.
• Julijus Grubliauskas, Climate and Energy Security Staff Officer, NATO discussed the Security Implications of the Green Energy Transition.
• Dr Kestutis Paulauskas, Senior Strategy Officer, Allied Command Transformation, NATO presented NATO’s Warfighting Capstone Concept, which was developed by NATO’s Allied Command Transformation. The concept focuses on how to “out-think (academically), out-pace (economically), out-last, out-excel, out-partner, and out-fight” adversaries.

During the meeting, the Committee Rapporteurs presented three draft reports[15] and the committee members were informed of future studies and activities.

Canadian Participation:

The Canadian delegation was represented at this meeting by Senator Jane Cordy and MPs Darren Fisher, Cheryl Gallant, Christine Normandin and Pierre Paul-Hus.

The delegates actively participated in the discussions, with MP Paul-Hus asking questions about the Alliance’s ability to establish common standards, MP Normandin enquiring about the strengthening strategic supply chains between Allies and MP Gallant raising the feasibility of using micronuclear reactors to power microgrids.

D. Plenary Sitting [16]

The Plenary Sitting of the 2022 Spring Session was held on 30 May 2022. NATO PA President Gerald Connolly (United States), opened the session by thanking the host country and expressing the Alliance’s profound admiration and respect for the Ukrainian delegation’s courage and leadership, noting that their fight for freedom and democracy was inspiring. The President encouraged all Allied members to provide Ukraine with military equipment, intelligence sharing and humanitarian assistance and vowed to help with rebuilding efforts when the conflict ended. He recommended that the Alliance strengthen NATO’s military presence on the Eastern flank and move towards forward defence postures while fighting against hybrid and cyber operations, disinformation and propaganda, energy blackmail and dependence, and political and economic coercion. He mentioned the plight of other NATO aspirants and partners who were also subject to Russian pressure and attempted intimidation. He emphasized that support for democratic values needed to be more than aspirational. The establishment of the proposed Democratic Resilience Centre within NATO, a proposal that was garnering endorsements from governments from across the Alliance, would serve as a resource and allow for the sharing of best practices. He expressed hope that the membership of Finland and Sweden to NATO would be ratified soon and concluded by saying that the Assembly’s voice has never been more vital than it is now.

H.E. Mr Gitanas Nausèda, President of the Republic of Lithuania, then addressed the plenary. He emphasized that Russia’s war in Ukraine had dramatically changed the security situation in the region and underscored the need to increase defense capabilities on the eastern flank of the Alliance. He stressed that it was time for NATO to recognize that Russia would not change and for the Alliance to make the necessary decisions to strengthen the Alliance. He concluded by saying that calls for concessions in exchange for peace were unacceptable and that it was time for firmness and unity in support of Ukraine and its European and Euro-Atlantic goals. 

H.E. Ms Viktorija Čmilyté-Nielsen, Speaker of the Seimas of Lithuania was next to address the plenary. She began by reminding participants that Lithuania recently celebrated its 18^th anniversary of NATO membership and that the expansion of the Alliance had contributed to the democratic stability of the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. She warned that the gains of the past were not irreversible, and that the Alliance had to protect the current international security architecture by strengthening its deterrence and defence posture. She proposed that NATO Forward Presence Battle Groups be increased to the level of Forward Brigades. She also stressed that Ukraine needed to be supported in its fight against Russia and that it was important to affirm that NATO’s door would be open to Ukraine if it chose to apply to join the Alliance. In her opinion the open-door principle needed to remain firm. She concluded by thanking participants for their partnership and wished Sweden and Finland speedy accession into NATO.

Mr Audronius Ažubalis, Chairman of the Seimas Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly took to the podium to speak about how the countries on the eastern flank of the Alliance were affected by their history with Russia and about their fear that the war would bleed out into the countries surrounding Ukraine.  He urged NATO to adopt a strategy to help Euro-Atlantic countries address global threats at the next summit in Madrid. He noted that prepositioning was required at this time and that NATO’s forward presence needed to be upgraded to brigade status in the Baltic states. He urged the Alliance not to repeat the mistakes of the past when it comes to its position regarding Ukraine. He concluded by saying that the war in Ukraine had to be won before the Alliance could begin thinking about the de-Putinization of Russia. 

The President then called on Mr. Yehor Cherniev, Head of the Ukrainian Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Mr. Cherniev thanked Lithuania for hosting the Session and for all that this country was doing for Ukraine. He also thanked other countries, including Canada, for taking in refugees and for providing the weapons necessary to continue the fight. He informed members that Ukraine continued to be bombed daily and civilians were being killed; more munitions were required to keep fighting. He noted that the West had not properly evaluated the threat posed by Russia and credited NATO’s wavering on providing Ukraine with an action plan in 2008 and the lack of sanctions after Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014 for emboldening Russia. He stressed that Ukraine has always been a European nation and wants to be part of the European Union and of NATO. Not allowing them to do so would be akin to sending Ukraine back to Russia, something that they were not ready to accept. He concluded that it was time to correct the mistakes of the past and urged all countries to make efforts to provide Ukraine with more heavy weapons, for NATO to define what Ukraine must do to become a member of the Alliance and for the EU to open the door for Ukraine membership.

H.E. Mr. Ruslan Stefanchuk, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine joined the plenary via video conference. He noted that the war in Ukraine had, in fact, begun back in 2014 but that few had been willing to acknowledge this or act at that time. The Chairman spoke of how the world now sees how Russia has used blackmail, misinformation, financial terrorism and hunger to attack democracies. He thanked parliaments for taking courageous steps to support Ukraine and stated that the common task of like-minded nations today is to stop the Russian aggressor as soon as possible and force him to respect the rule of law. He underlined the importance of NATO as a forum for dialogue and recognized the role that parliamentary diplomacy can play in resolving conflict. He urged European parliaments to make clear decisions regarding Ukraine’s membership in the EU, noting that such a positive decision would put an end to Russian propaganda concerning Ukrainians’ wish to join Europe. He reminded participants that Ukraine did not attack anyone and only sought to defend their children. He stressed that they were not only fighting for themselves but defending peace in Europe, human rights and the rule of law. He encouraged Allied nations to continue pressuring Russia by blocking access to European markets. He concluded by thanking everyone for providing humanitarian assistance and offering their support to the Ukrainian people and expressed his hope that the new NATO Strategic Concept, which would be adopted at the upcoming NATO Summit in Madrid, would reiterate support for the open-door policy.

H.E. Ambassador Mr. Mircea Geoana, Deputy Secretary General of NATO, began by relaying the best regards of Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who was in Spain commemorating the 40^th anniversary of their joining NATO. He underscored the important link that the Assembly provided between the Alliance and the democratic societies. He praised the Ukrainian people for their courage, strength, and determination. Mr. Geoana stressed that NATO enlargement has been a historic success and that NATO’s door remained open. He expressed confidence that all Allies’ security concerns could be addressed, and that Finland and Sweden would be welcomed into the Alliance. He noted that President Putin’s war against Ukraine had shattered peace in Europe and that Russia’s brutality was having far-reaching effects on countries around the world. He emphasized that Ukraine could win the war with the continued support of NATO allies. He spoke of what NATO and partners from around the world had done to support the war effort. He underscored that the Alliance’s resilience was being tested and outlined how defense and deterrence capabilities had been enhanced in light of the Russian threat.  He thanked the Assembly for its active participation in the elaboration of the new NATO Strategic Concept and for its recommendations.  He noted how the world has changed since the current Strategic Concept was adopted in 2010. New and emerging challenges including climate change, cyber, increased competition for technological dominance, and the effect of China’s coercive approach on global security need to be considered when designing the new Strategic Concept.  He stressed that the Alliance must stand firm, continue to defend the values that its members hold dear and work on building democratic resilience before taking questions from the floor.

In his remarks, H.E. Mr Matti Vanhanen, Speaker of the Eduskunta of Finland noted that Ukraine was fighting for all of Europe. He expressed support for international criminal court investigations of war crimes committed by Russia. He underlined that his country supports measures that would end the war but only if they respect Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. Russia should not be allowed to dictate the terms of peace. He acknowledged that Russia has not abided by its international commitments for quite a while now and has demonstrated its will to use military force against its neighbours. He found Russia’s desire to return to the era of spheres of influence, which interferes with the expression of the democratic will of independent countries, to be troubling. He informed those assembled that Finland’s decision to apply for membership in NATO has not been taken lightly and was taken in consultation with the Parliament of Sweden; that the decision was a product of a democratic process and of an analysis of the changing security landscape. He noted that though Finland has stood side by side with NATO countries in many conflicts around the world, they were now seeking membership to assure North-Atlantic security and to increase stability in the Baltic region. He concluded by saying that Finland was participating in constructive dialogue aimed at resolving any concerns that Alliance members might have about their application and expressed hope that they would garner the required support for admission.

The last presentation was delivered by H.E. Mr Andreas Norlén, Speaker of the Riksdag of Sweden. He described feeling horror and rage at hearing of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He noted that the realization that Russia was undermining the European security situation and disregarding the rule of law as well as international humanitarian law came quickly thereafter. He was proud of the swift action taken by many countries around the world to impose sanctions on Russia and to support Ukraine. Sweden also took action to show its support. Not long after the invasion, the Swedish parliament voted to ask for membership in NATO. This move has solid support in his parliament. The decision was taken in close consultation with Finland, a country with which they share a history.  He emphasized that Sweden has been an active and contributing NATO partner, having become an associated member of the NATO PA in 2003 and having participated in many joint training missions. He noted his country’s willingness to abide by the terms of the Washington treaty and stands ready to defend freedom and democracy. He highlighted the considerable capacity that Sweden, like Finland, can bring to the Alliance. In closing, he expressed appreciation for all the support his country’s application for membership has received thus far and hoped that the concerns that have been raised can be resolved through dialogue.

The plenary turned its attention to two draft Declarations. Mr Michal Szczerba, Co-Chairperson of the Ukraine-NATO Interparliamentary Council, presented the text adopted by the Standing Committee on Standing with Ukraine and Hon. Gerald Connolly, President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, presented the text adopted by the Standing Committee on Confronting Russia’s Threat. After debate, the draft Declarations were adopted as amended. [17].

The plenary then adopted the audited financial statements for the provident fund for the year ending 31 December, the Proposal for the allocation of the 2021 surplus and current financial year and the audited abridged version of the financial statements for the year ending 31 December 2021.   

In closing, President Connolly again thanked the Lithuanian Delegation for hosting the Spring Session and the Ukrainian delegation for having travelled to Vilnius to participate.

Canadian Participation:

MP Julie Dzerowicz, in her capacity as Vice-President of the NATO PA, chaired a portion of the question-and-answer period with H.E. Ambassador Mr. Mircea GEOANA, Deputy Secretary General of NATO.  All Canadian delegates were present at the plenary session.

OTHER MEETINGS

On 27 May 2022, the Canadian delegates met with chargé d’affaires Richard Martin-Nielsen at the Office of the Embassy of Canada to Lithuania in Vilnius for a briefing on the latest regional developments, their effects in Lithuania, and Canada’s various avenues of cooperation with this country.  The delegates were very appreciative of the time Mr. Martin-Nielsen took to inform them of the history of Lithuania and of its current social make-up as well as of the state of its economy and of its energy security.

On 28 May 2022, the Hon. John McKay, Vice-Chair of the Association and Chairman of the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on National Defence, met with Mr. Laurynas Kasciunas, Chair of the Lithuanian National Security and Defense Committee to discuss national security and defense cooperation. Mr. McKay was joined by Senator Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu and MPs Rachel Blaney, Darren Fisher, Cheryl Gallant, Pierre Paul-Hus and Christine Normandin.  Also on 28 May 2022, Senator Jane Cordy met with representatives of the Republic of South Korea delegation in her capacity as chair of the NATO sub-committee on resilience and civil security.

On 30 May 2022, all delegates met with the Ukrainian delegation for an in-depth discussion of matters related to the war in that country, and later that day MP Christine Normandin met with the chair of the Canada-Lithuanian Parliamentary Friendship group in the Lithuanian Seimas, Morgana Daniele. They discussed many matters of common interest, including the decriminalization of certain drugs in Canada.

Respectfully submitted,

Ms. Julie Dzerowicz, M.P.
Chair of the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association