More than 15 heads of diplomatic missions and international organizations accredited in Ukraine have gathered in Kyiv on October 5 to discuss and outline the ways to solve the problems associated with the restoration of rights of the indigenous people of Crimea – Crimean Tatars, who were exiled in May 1944, a QHA correspondent reported.
The meeting was attended by the Chairman of the Chairman of the Majlis of the Crimean Tatar people, Ukrainian MP Mustafa Dzhemilev, First Vice-Chairman of the Majlis of the Crimean Tatar people, President of the World Congress of Crimean Tatars Refat Chubarov, Head of the Permanent Commission of the Verkhovna Rada of Crimea on Interethnic Relations and Problems of Formerly Deported Citizens Remzi Ilyasov, the Chief of Foreign Relations Division of the Majlis Ali Hamzin, the Head of Delegation of European Union to Ukraine Jose Manuel Pinto Teixeira, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Turkish Republic to Ukraine Ahmet Bulent Merich, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to Ukraine Jacques Faure, the United States Ambassador to Ukraine John Tefft, UNHCR Regional Representative in the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine Oldrich Andrysek and many others.
“The main goal of the meeting of the supreme representative – executive body of the Crimean Tatar people – Majlis – with the diplomatic corps was the exchange of the practical experience in the issues, related to the return, resettlement and restoration of the rights of the Crimean Tatar people on their historical homeland that were subjected to overall deportation of May 18, 1944 and were forcibly detained in the places of exile for the decades,” the leaders of the Majlis noted.
The participants of the meeting were proposed to study the sensitive questions, related to the modern situation with the Crimean Tatar people in Ukraine. The special attention was also given to the discussion of the issue, related to the preparation to the International Forum on the restoration of the rights of the Crimean Tatar people at its homeland, its security and guarantees of development in Ukraine.
The main reporters of the meeting were Mustafa Dzhemilev and Refat Chubarov.
“We have invited you to this meeting in order to inform about the situation of the restoration of the rights of Crimean Tatars, returning to their historical homeland – Crimea after the criminal deportation, genocide and almost a half-century exile. We are very grateful to you for your response to our invitation and participation in this meeting,” Mr. Cemil said in his opening speech.
He highlighted the main problems that the Crimean Tatar people are facing in Crimea.
“The rights of Crimean Tatars to land were gravely violated: both in agriculture and construction of individual houses. In the first case the injustice was built from the very beginning of the land reform and then was fixed during the adoption of the Land Code of Ukraine. The Article 25 provides that only the members of the organizations or those who worked formerly in these organizations and now retired could participate in the free privatization of land of state, municipal, agricultural enterprises, organizations and institutions. Correspondingly, the majority of the repatriates were deprived of the possibility to participate in land privatization,” the Majlis Chairman stressed.
“The national convention of the Crimean Tatar people (Qurultay) came to the conclusion on its last session that the international forum has to be held on the problems of Crimea and its indigenous people in order to provide the international assistance to Ukraine in solution of these problems. After the adoption of this decision the delegation of Majlis met with many political and state figures in Canada, USA and European countries, with leaders of a number of international organizations. I am pleased to inform you that our initiative as to calling of the international forum has been taken with understanding and willingness to assist in all these meetings. However, we haven’t received a clear response to our initiative from Ukrainian authorities whose participation in the forum’s work would be very important and necessary,” the politician noted.
“We hope that the diplomats and representatives of the international organizations, accredited in our country could assist us in calling of this forum,” M. Dzhemilev concluded.
The meeting’s agenda also provided the discussion by the participants of the meeting in the Q&A format.
The representatives of the Organization for the Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Administration of the President of Ukraine, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs of Ukraine were also invited to take part in the meeting.
The financial support for the meeting is provided by the Charity Organization “Foundation for the development of Crimea”.
By QHA
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