Ottawa, Ontario - 22 November 2014

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today issued the following statement commemorating the 81st anniversary of the Holodomor:

“Today is Holodomor Memorial Day, a somber occasion when people around the world remember the forced starvation of millions of Ukrainian men, women and children in 1932 and 1933 by Joseph Stalin’s tyrannical communist regime.

“On this sombre day, let us join with Ukrainians in Canada and around the world in remembering the victims of this genocide, which was intended to crush the aspirations, freedom and independence of a proud people.

“Let us also remember the tremendous courage and resolve demonstrated by those Ukrainians who survived that awful period and shared their horrifying experiences with the world.

“Our Government officially recognized the Holodomor as an act of genocide in May 2008 and remains committed to teaching Canadians about this crime against humanity.

“Today, Canada continues to support the people of Ukraine in their efforts to secure a peaceful and prosperous future for their country. We continue to stand with the people of Ukraine in the face of the Putin regime’s illegal occupation of the Crimean Peninsula and its military aggression in Eastern Ukraine. This support has included delivering equipment and supplies to the Ukrainian Armed Forces as well as providing significant financial assistance and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. We have also sent election observers to eight successive Ukrainian elections to help ensure that they were free and fair.

“On this day, let us honour the millions of victims of the Holodomor, pay tribute to the courage of those that survived, and recommit to supporting Ukraine as it follows its path as a proud and independent member of the European family of nations.”

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