Bariyev: Ukraine should work more actively within Crimea Platform

Russia operates against the Crimea Platform with the signatories to its declaration, so Ukraine should be more active within this format.

Head of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, Eskender Bariyev said this on the air of the Dom TV channel, commenting on the statement by the President of Bulgaria on "Russian Crimea".

Bariyev noted that Bulgaria was a signatory to the Crimea Platform Declaration.

"Participation in the Crimea Platform summit is a serious message that this country is ready to support and become a subject of the Crimea Platform. Another issue is that the Russian Federation is on the alert," Bariyev said.

He stressed that Ukraine should intensify activities within the Crimea Platform.

"One thing is that the Crimea Platform Declaration was signed and proclaimed at the summit. Another question is that the technical aspects should be carried out as soon as possible to ensure appropriate communication. Because, for example, we have not seen a consolidated position of the Crimea Platform in response to the arrests and detentions that have taken place in recent months. We saw the position of only some subjects of the Crimea Platform," Bariyev said.

According to him, Russia has powerful levers of pressure on Europe, and it actively uses them. In particular, it concerns gas blackmail and the migrant crisis on the EU–Belarus border.

"Therefore, it is necessary to work more actively so that we can convene the Parliamentary Assembly of the Crimea Platform at least by the summer of 2022," the Head of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center said.

As reported, the inaugural summit of the Crimea Platform, a new consultative and coordination format initiated by Ukraine to increase the effectiveness of the international response to the temporary occupation of Crimea, step up international pressure on Russia, and achieve the main goal of de-occupying Crimea and restoring Ukraine's sovereignty over it, took place on August 23.

In the joint declaration adopted following the summit, the Crimea Platform participants reaffirmed their support for Ukraine's territorial integrity, condemned the temporary occupation of Crimea, the militarization of the peninsula, human rights violations and obstruction of freedom of navigation in the region, and called on the Russian Federation to take a constructive part in the Platform.

ol