Results of the Second Parliamentary Summit of the Crimea Platform

On Tuesday, October 24, the Second Parliamentary Summit of the Crimea Platform took place in the capital of the Czech Republic, Prague. The event saw the participation of representatives from 51 countries of the world, 9 of which were represented by two chambers of parliament, as well as representatives of 6 international organizations. The total number of participants this year was 66. 

This year’s participants included representatives of the Czech Republic, Ukraine, the Republic of Croatia, Germany, the French Republic, Turkey, Canada, Spain, the United States of America, Austria, Belgium, the Republic of Cyprus, Japan, and the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Finland, the Republic of Iceland, the Republic of Ireland, the Republic of Latvia, Australia, the Principality of Liechtenstein, the Republic of Moldova, the Republic of North Macedonia, the Kingdom of Norway, the Republic of Bulgaria, the Republic of Poland, Romania, The Swiss Confederation, New Zealand, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Republic of Italy, Costa Rica, Guinea-Bissau, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, the Republic of Ghana, Greece, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Lithuania, Malta, Portugal, the Republic of Slovenia, the Kingdom of Sweden, Malaysia, Sierra Leone, the Republic of Albania, the Republic of Serbia, the State of Israel (although the delegation was unable to attend the summit, the Knesset sent an official letter requesting Israel to be considered a summit participant). 

Also, representatives of the European Parliament, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly spoke at the plenary session of the Summit.

It’s crucial to underscore that representatives from both chambers of the parliaments of the Czech Republic, the French Republic, Spain, the United States of America, the Republic of Austria, Belgium, the Republic of Poland, the Swiss Confederation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Italy attended the Summit.

The opening ceremony of the Second Parliamentary Summit of the Crimea Platform was held, featuring 9 speakers – representatives of the Czech Republic, Ukraine, the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, and experts of the Crimea Platform – spoke. 

During the opening ceremony, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude to the Czech Republic, its leaders and the entire Czech society, for supporting Ukraine and for hosting the Summit. He emphasized the importance of uniting the efforts of the democratic world to end Russian aggression with a lasting and just peace.

The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk, also spoke at the opening ceremony, emphasizing the important role of parliamentarians in shaping the foreign policy decisions of democratic countries. Mr. Stefanchuk urged his colleagues to use the accessible means to restore peace, secure justice for the victims and the inevitability of holding the guilty accountable.  

During the plenary session of the Second Parliamentary Summit 61 participants took the floor, including Tamila Tasheva, the Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. 

The Permanent Representative underlined the misperception of Crimea as a Russian military base and a sacred place for imperialism. Ms. Tasheva noted that Crimea is first and foremost a place where people, including indigenous communities, who bear the word “Crimea” in their identity, live but cannot reside in their homeland while it remains under Russian occupation.  

Despite the fact that after February 24, 2022, the priority of a political and diplomatic resolution gave way to missiles and drones, the Crimea Platform continues its mission of preparing Ukrainian legislation to meet the needs of Crimea the very next day after its de-occupation. 

At the end of the plenary session, a Joint Declaration was signed by the participants of the Second Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform, affirming the territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, including Crimea and Sevastopol, as well as assurance of the sovereignty of Ukraine as necessary preconditions for ending the war and establishing lasting peace in the region. 

Additionally, in the Joint Declaration, the participants condemned the so-called “referendums” and “elections” in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. The parliamentarians also condemned Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Russian attacks on Ukraine’s export infrastructure, threats to commercial shipping, and the blockade of Ukraine’s seaports, which threatens global food security. 

Through the Joint Declaration, the Summit participants expressed their intention to support the provision of political, diplomatic, military, security, financial, humanitarian and other forms of assistance to Ukraine, as well as to support Ukraine on its path toward EU membership. It is noteworthy that the Joint Declaration also contains the intention to maintain and effectively implement sanctions against Russia, actively countering any attempts to circumvent these sanctions. 

During a joint press conference after the Second Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform Marketa Pekarova Adamova, Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic, and Ruslan Stefanchuk, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, extended their gratitude to the organizers from both the Ukrainian and Czech sides for the Summit and acknowledged the substantial support for Ukraine that was felt among the participants. 

The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine expressed appreciation for addressing such crucial topics as Ukraine’s territorial integrity, international support, sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation, and the development of compensatory mechanisms.

Marketa Pekarova Adamova pointed out that Ukraine is not only defending its own country but also preventing the spread of Russian aggression to other nations. Ms. Adamova emphasized that Russia and Belarus bear responsibility for the abduction and “brainwashing” of four thousand Ukrainian children.

Ruslan Stefanchuk expressed his sincere gratitude to the Czech people and shared his hope that this Summit would provide an impetus for further international support for Ukraine.

This year, the expert dimension of the Crimea Platform also took place in Prague, with the Expert Network of the Crimea Platform organizing panel discussions, supported financially by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.

The expert program brought together top experts, political figures, and scholars for comprehensive discussions on the major challenges posed by the occupation of Crimea and Russia’s full-scale aggression.

During the first panel discussion on the topic of “The Inevitable Liberation of Crimea,” participants evaluated the likely consequences of liberating Crimea through military means and the impact of de-occupation on the Black Sea region. Speakers also examined how the weakening or destruction of the Russian Black Sea fleet would affect the security of Black Sea countries and Europe as a whole. Discussions encompassed strategies to strengthen Ukraine’s military capabilities with the support of Western partners.

The second panel discussion, featuring the Permanent Representative, was dedicated to the theme of “Restoring Justice and Ensuring Non-Repetition of Russian Aggression.” Speakers focused on the consequences of the occupation, mechanisms for holding individuals accountable for committed crimes, compensation for losses, and the protection of the rights of indigenous populations.

The Permanent Representative discussed the key initiatives of the Mission, including the development of priority actions that the state should undertake immediately after the de-occupation of Crimea. This task is being pursued by the Representation under the direct directive of President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Additionally, within the scope of the Second Parliamentary Summit of the Crimean Platform, a side event took place, where participants had the opportunity to attend a performance by the Ukrainian feminist artist, performance artist, and media artist, Alevtyna Kakhidze.

The artist’s art intervention “Making spaces” involved the creation of “living drawings”. During the performative event, Alevtyna Kakhidze portrayed the history of Crimea from ancient times. In particular, within the performance, the artist illustrated on paper the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Empire in 1783 and the subsequent Russian occupation in 2014. In her work, Alevtyna Kakhidze also reflected the deportation of Crimean Tatars in 1944; Musa Mamut’s self-immolation in 1978 as a protest against the Soviet oppression; a protest organized by Crimean Tatar activists in the center of Moscow in 1987 and other events that vividly depict  the history of Crimea.

Within the Summit another side event  called “Living the War” was organized by The Game Changers, an independent Ukrainian team that created the world’s largest bank of hyper-realistic content (VR and 360-3D) about the war in Ukraine. The goal of the project was to help people from all over the world experience the war the way ordinary Ukrainians do. It is crucial to understand that supporting Ukraine today is the path to a peaceful and stable tomorrow for all of humanity.

We are grateful to all the participants and organizers who contributed to the Second Parliamentary Summit of the Crimea Platform, as this event is an important step in the collective struggle of the democratic world against Russian aggression. 

We look forward to the Third Parliamentary Summit of the Crimea Platform in the coming year, with hopes that it will take place in a free Crimea!