On January 20, 2021, First Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Emine Dzhaparova took part in the joint committee hearings “Foreign policy aspects of de-occupation of Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol: parliamentary dimension” in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

Other participants of the event were Special Envoy of the MFA of Ukraine on Sanctions Policy Oleksiy Makeev, Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine to the Autonomous Republic of Crimea Anton Korynevych, representatives of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Ministry for Reintegration of Temporary Occupied Territories of Ukraine, Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, heads and members of specialized parliamentary committees, inter-parliamentary relations groups and permanent missions to parliamentary assemblies of international organizations.

Emine Dzhaparova informed the participants about the status of implementation of the Crimean Platform initiative and the preparation of its Inaugural Summit on August 23, 2021 in Kyiv.

The First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine defined key elements of the future Summit Declaration, in part on the matters of support of the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, the parameters of the international policy on the temporarily occupied Crimea, the launch of the Crimean Platform.

The development of the parliamentary dimension of the Crimean Platform, namely through promoting its aims in the parliamentary assemblies of international organizations and discussing them within the framework of “friendship groups” with the parliaments of other states, was also an important issue raised at the hearings.

The participants of the hearings also gave consideration to the tasks on the legal plan, directed at the de-occupation of Crimea through political and legal means.

For reference: The Crimean Platform is a new advisory and coordinating format, initiated by Ukraine for the purpose of enhancing the efficiency of international reaction on the ongoing occupation of Crimea, countering the increasing security threats, strengthening of international pressure on Russia, preventing future human rights violations and protecting the victims of the occupation regime, as well as reaching the main goal – de-occupation of Crimea and its return to Ukraine.

The Crimean Platform will be launched at the Inaugural Summit, which is planned to take place in Kyiv on August 23, 2021. Heads of states and leaders of international and regional organizations will be invited to participate in the Summit.