(This May 26 story has been corrected to remove 'United States' as one of the CPTPP countries mentioned in the last sentence)

OTTAWA Canada backs Ukraine's application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng said on Friday.

"Following the UK's accession, as more economies express interest in joining, Canada welcomes Ukraine's application to join CPTPP," Ng said on Twitter.

Ukraine is seeking to join the 11-country trans-Pacific trade pact in an effort to boost trade and foreign direct investments. Kyiv says expansion of business ties is important in countering Russian aggression.

Earlier in May, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy formed a delegation led by Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko to participate in negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the CPTPP.

Britain in March struck a deal to join the trade pact, which includes Australia and Japan.

(Reporting by Ismail Shakil and Steve Scherer in Ottawa; Editing by Alistair Bell)