Emine Dzhaparova: We Start the Next Stage of Active Advocacy of the Crimean Platform

During a meeting with EU Ambassador to Ukraine, Matti Maasikas, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, stated the phase of active advocacy of the Crimean Platform, which has already been initiated by the country’s political leadership. It envisages informing our international partners about the details and substantive part of the campaign on the Crimean Platform initiated by the President of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian diplomat said that the Crimean Platform will become a new international format for improving the efficiency and coordination of the international community on the de-occupation of Crimea and protection of the rights and interests of Crimean people, as well as for formalising and systematising all existing and new formats of cooperation.

“The Platform will help strengthen international policy of non-recognition of Russia’s attempt to annex the Crimean Peninsula, create additional opportunities for a more rapid response to growing security threats due to Russian militarization in the Black and Azov Seas. It will consolidate political pressure on the Kremlin, including through sanctions and countermeasures gross violation of human rights,, said Emine Dzhaparova.

The First Deputy Minister thanked Maasikas for organising a thematic briefing for EU member states in the near future at the EU Delegation to Ukraine, which will present a detailed vision of the Platform’s activities through the European Union. Emine Dzhaparova also said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will hold similar briefings for Ukraine’s non-EU partners.

For reference: The Crimean Platform will work on several levels. The first is the highest political level, to which the heads of foreign states and governments will join. The second is the level of foreign ministers and defence ministers. The third is the inter-parliamentary level. And the fourth is the level of non-governmental experts.

An expert network will be created to increase the effectiveness of state actions, as well as to attract additional intellectual resources in the work of the Platform. It will provide information and analytical support to the platform and play an active role in ensuring its publicity. It is planned to invite leading Ukrainian and international experts on Crimean issues to participate in the network: representatives of public organisations, analytical and research centers, and academic institutions.

Natalia Tolub