Crimea Platform Parliamentary Summit begins in Zagreb
Zagreb, 25 October 2022 (MIA) - Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk and Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Tuesday opened the First Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform in Zagreb, with a message highlighting commitment to providing aid for Ukraine.
“We will send a strong message of unity, solidarity and support for Ukraine amid the Russian aggression,” said Jandroković, adding that the international community, EU and NATO quickly “responded to Putin’s anti-civilization move” in a united way after the Russian invasion.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky launched the Crimea Platform before the start of the Russian aggression, back in summer 2021, in order to cast away the myth that Crimea belongs to Russia, and unite the countries committed to the reintegration of the peninsula to Ukraine. The platform also deals with a number of related questions, such as respecting human rights, protection of the Tatars in Crimea, freedom of navigation, environmental protection, but following the Russian aggression, the platform received a whole new meaning, spreading the focus to other parts of Ukraine that Russia claimed against international law.
The Crimea Platform inauguration summit was held in August 2021, coordinating international response to the annexation of Crimea and other security challenges.
The summit was held this August as well, online, and both were at a presidential or PM level. Today’s meeting in Zagreb is establishing a parliamentary dimension of the Crimea platform.
“The continuation of the Russian aggression gave this platform new momentum (...) The final goal is clear – for Russia to abandon the territory that doesn’t belong to it,” the Speaker of the Sabor stressed. “The spirit of the Ukrainian people reminded me of the spirit of the Croatian people from 30 years ago. We also faced off against a military superior aggressor with pride, patriotism and courage,” Jandroković said.
He called upon the countries to back Ukraine.
“We are deeply aware of the difference between victim and aggressor. Nobody should have any dilemma as to which side of the conflict they should take. Let’s not hesitate to help Ukraine in its victory,” Jandroković said.
Stefanchuk said he was convinced that today’s meeting “will be productive and fruitful” and he thanked Croatia for co-organizing the summit, because “daily aggressive attacks against Ukraine have made it impossible for it to be held in Kiev”.
“President Volodymyr Zelensky’s initiative has been widely accepted and is spreading geographically. Our goal is clear – reinstating Crimea into Ukraine,” Stefanchuk pointed out.
There are 42 delegations from 32 countries in Zagreb. Five countries are represented by the speakers of both houses of Parliament: Belgium, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Poland and Romania. Eleven countries will take part via video message, including France, Hungary, Japan and Canada.
There are also representatives of five parliamentary assemblies of international organizations: the European Parliament, PA of the Council of Europe, PA of OSCE, the Interparliamentary Union and the PA of NATO.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy will address the summit via video-link, and it’s expected that the event ends with a joint statement condemning the violation of human rights in Crimea by Russian occupiers, and a suggested sharpening of sanctions against Russia and the formation of an international court to judge Russian war crimes and human rights violations. dk/nn/
