French MEPs go to Crimea annexed by Russia

French MEPs led by Thierry Mariani are going to visit the annexed Crimea, writes 112.ua.

In this regard, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine asked France to officially respond to the illegal visit of a French delegation of MEPs led by Thierry Mariani to the annexed Crimea. The delegation is scheduled to visit from June 30 to July 2. This was reported in the press service of the Foreign Ministry.

The request was voiced by First Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Japarova during a meeting with French Ambassador Etienne de Poncins.

“The First Deputy Minister drew the ambassador’s attention to the inadmissibility of contacts of French citizens with representatives of the occupation administration of the Russian Federation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. Etienne de Poncins, for his part, reaffirmed the unwavering position of official Paris on supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and assured that he would forward Emina Japarova’s appeal to the French Foreign Ministry regarding the visit of French MEPs to Crimea,” the Foreign Ministry said.

The parties stressed the importance of cooperation for the effective fight against attempts by Russia to spread anti-Ukrainian disinformation, which threatens Ukraine’s sovereignty.

In turn, Thierry Mariani, a member of the European Parliament and former Prime Minister of Lithuania, sharply condemned on Twitter the visit of French deputies to the Crimea: “Thierry Mariani will be in the Crimea tomorrow as in 2016 – kisses to the invaders? Shame!”

Natalia Tolub