The third Summit of the Crimea platform

On 23 August, the third Summit of the Crimea platform was held in Kyiv. This year, 63 representatives from different countries and international organisations took part in the Summit, which confirms the importance of the Crimea issue at the international level. The participants focused on the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity as a key element of security in the Black Sea and Baltic region, economic recovery of the peninsula, humanitarian situation and protection of human rights. 

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered a welcoming speech at the opening of the event. The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba also addressed to the participants of the Summit.

In his speech, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the main task of the Crimean Platform was to prepare for the de-occupation of Crimea and that Ukraine had a clear path to restore the territorial integrity and post-war transformation of the peninsula.

“Ukraine does not trade territories, because Ukraine does not trade people. And everyone who is here, who participates in the Crimea Platform, everyone who supported the Peace Formula, who wants to end the criminal and unprovoked Russian aggression… you all affirm that human life is priceless. This is very important. This is the principle that should be at the heart of international relations. Life is priceless. And international law, which is the basis for the protection of life, is priceless,” stressed the President of Ukraine.

“Russia’s full-scale invasion has not weakened, but rather strengthened the Platform and our common determination to return Crimea to Ukraine. The number of participants and the geography of support continues to expand. The Platform now covers Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. No matter how much time passes, the crime of occupation will be punished. Respect for the UN Charter must be restored, and Crimea must be returned to Ukraine,” said Dmytro Kuleba.

“For me and for hundreds of thousands of Crimeans, Crimea is home. Just as Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions are home to millions of Ukrainians who were forced by Russia to leave their homeland. Therefore, the Crimea Platform is not only about the peninsula itself, but also about our other temporarily occupied territories and people. Our mission is very noble – to return home to those who have been taken away from it,” said First Deputy Minister Emine Dzhaparova.

At the beginning of her speech, the Permanent Representative underlined the role of the peninsula in the formation of the Crimean Tatar people, calling Crimea “a central element of the Crimean Tatar identity”. Tamila Tasheva described how the occupation administration is trying to destroy the signs of Crimean Tatar identity today: 117 out of 180 Crimean political prisoners are Crimean Tatars. In addition, the Permanent Representative added: “During the occupation, the Russian occupation administrations have destroyed established economic ties, formed their own judicial and law enforcement systems, introduced Russian standards in education and social protection, and under various pretexts have taken away private property and land from Ukrainian citizens.” 

Representatives of foreign countries and international organisations reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and expressed their support for the President’s Peace Formula.

The event was attended by the Presidents of Lithuania, Portugal and Hungary, the Chairman and Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Prime Ministers of Moldova and Finland, the Minister of Defence of the Netherlands and the Senior Advisor to the President of Turkey, the Secretary General of GUAM and the Director General of the Secretariat of the Danube Commission. The rest of the participants took part online or via video.

For the first time, the Summit was attended by representatives of Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Serbia, Timor-Leste, the World Tourism Organisation, UNESCO and the Danube Commission.