Visit of the Honourable Greg Fergus, P.C., M.P., Speaker of the House of Commons, and a Parliamentary Delegation, Ukraine and Republic of Poland

From October 14 to 18, 2024, the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Honourable Greg Fergus, P.C., M.P., led a parliamentary delegation to Ukraine and the Republic of Poland. The delegation consisted of the Honourable Helena Jaczek, P.C., M.P., Mr. Stéphane Bergeron, M.P., Ms. Lindsay Mathyssen, M.P., and Mr. Shuvaloy Majumdar, M.P. Accompanying the delegation were Mr. Anthony Carricato, Director of Operations and International Affairs, Office of the Speaker of the House of Commons, and Ms. Alison Tardif-Plante, Secretary to the delegation.

In Kyiv, Ukraine, the delegation met with the following officials, organizations, and groups:

• His Excellency Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine;
• His Excellency Ruslan Stefanchuk, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine;
• His Excellency Denys Shmyhal, Prime Minister of Ukraine;
• His Excellency Andrii Sybiha, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine;
• Ms. Olena Kondratiuk, Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada;
• Members of the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group;
• Students of the Kyiv-Mohyla Business School (KMBS) Strategic Leadership Program; and
• Representatives from the Centre for Civil Liberties and civilians and soldiers who have been in Russian captivity.

The delegation also had the opportunity to visit and lay flowers at the Wall of Remembrance of the Fallen for Ukraine, as well as visit the National Museum of the Holodomor Genocide.

In Warsaw, Republic of Poland, the delegation met with the following officials, organizations, and groups:

• Mr. Szymon Hołownia, Marshal of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland;
• Ms. Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska, Marshal of the Senate of the Republic of Poland;
• Mr. Paweł Kowal, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland;
• Ms. Joanna Kluzik-Rostkowska, Head of the Polish delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, along with other members of the delegation;
• Representatives of the Belarusian Democratic Forces; and
• Representatives of the Canadian Armed Forces.

In addition to the official meetings, the delegation participated in a discussion on Jewish-Poland dialogue and reconciliation at the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, viewed the works of Canadian-Polish painter Mayer Kirshenblatt on display at the museum, and visited the Majdanek concentration camp. Discussions were also held with experts on the impact of war on Poland and with experts on disinformation and foreign interference.

The purpose of the visit to the Republic of Poland and Ukraine was to better understand the impact of war on individuals and institutions, inform and exchange on the role of NATO in the current geopolitical landscape, and reflect on the role of parliaments and parliamentarians in protecting and promoting democracy.

The report will be available once it has been tabled in the House of Commons.