The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, yesterday met with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, during the third Ukraine Reform Conference. The conference is co-hosted by Canada and Ukrainea and is taking place in Toronto this week, the Government of Canada informs.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Trudeau reiterated Canada's steadfast support for the people of Ukraine and its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The two leaders also discussed Ukraine's efforts to advance democratic reforms on its path to Euro-Atlantic integration, as well as the security situation in the region. The Prime Minister stressed the need to stand together in the face of Russia's attempts to undermine Ukraine's sovereignty.

The two leaders also explored ways to further deepen Canada-Ukraine trade relations. They highlighted the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement, and agreed to expand the agreement to create even more new opportunities and good, middle class jobs for Canadians and Ukrainians alike.

Prime Minister Trudeau and President Zelensky also welcomed two new agreements which will lead to even closer people-to-people ties between our two countries. The Audiovisual Coproduction Treaty will help promote Canadian content in Ukraine and provide significant opportunities to expand audiences for Canadian feature film, television, and digital productions. The Joint Declaration on a Youth Mobility Arrangement is a welcome step towards a revitalized agreement, which would strengthen our ties and support travel and work opportunities for young Canadians and Ukrainians.

The Audiovisual Cooperation Treaty will help promote Canadian content in Ukraine. Once ratified, the treaty will facilitate feature film, television and digital productions by creating a framework for the pooling of creative and financial resources of Canadian and Ukrainian audiovisual producers. It is expected to provide significant opportunities to expand audiences for Canadian productions; attract foreign investment; increase production budgets; tap into foreign markets; assist the realization of Canadian productions that would not otherwise be made; and promote both our cultures internationally. Canada has coproduction treaties with more than 50 partners.

In total, the Government of Canada announced more than $45 million in additional support to Ukraine.