On August 23, 2021, the inaugural Summit of the Crimea Platform, which intends to demonstrate international unity around the position affirming that «Crimea is Ukraine», to condemn Russia's crimes in and around Crimea, and to outline the parameters of international policy toward putting an end to the occupation, was held in Kyiv. Representatives of 47 states and international organizations took part in the event. Among them, there were 15 heads of state and government, 2 speakers of parliaments, 14 ministers, heads of the EU institutions, secretaries general of the Council of Europe and GUAM, and NATO Deputy Secretary General.
During the Summit’s first part, moderated by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba, speeches were made by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Dmytro Razumkov, the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, the Heads of foreign delegations, the Leader of the Crimean Tatar people Mustafa Dzhemilev.
The participants of the Summit adopted a joint declaration, which determines the aim of the Crimea Platform – to peacefully end Russia's temporary occupation of Crimea and restore Ukraine's control over that territory in full compliance with international law.
At the panel discussions of the second part of the Summit, prominent politicians, diplomats and experts – Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine Oleksii Reznikov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksii Danilov, NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Joane, Head of the Crimean Tatar Majlis Refat Chubarov, Director of the Atlantic Council John Herbst, former US Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker, Head of the Center for Russian Studies Volodymyr Ohryzko, and others – discussed topical issues of the Crimean agenda: recovery plan and restoration of the Crimean Tatar’s rights as a tool of de-occupation of Crimea; reintegration of Crimea through protection of human rights and sustainable development; combining pragmatic interests with ethical policies and values in the context of policy of non-recognition of attempted annexation of Crimea; consolidation of international efforts to respond to security threats in the Azov-Black Sea region.
It is assumed that functioning of this new consultation and coordination format on Crimea should guarantee the permanent presence of the Crimean issue on the international agenda. The operational work of the Crimea platform will be ensured by a special office, which was opened on August 23 in Kyiv. According to the President of Ukraine, such representative offices will be opening in other countries in the future.
The NISS was represented at the Forum by Head of the Center for Society Studies Yulia Tyshchenko and Chief Consultant of the Department of Humanitarian Policy and Civil Society Development Serhii Zubchenko.
Фото: НІСД, МЗС України, crimea-platform.org, facebook-сторінка Рефата Чубарова
Video available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1yovsCotho