President: Ukraine has to restore rights of Crimean Tatars as indigenous people
"The settlement of this issue is long overdue, and we must finally solve it. We can say with confidence that we will definitely celebrate this holiday of solidarity in free Bakhchisaray and throughout Crimea," President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky stated on the occasion of the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, the President's Office posted on Facebook.
The efforts are made to enshrine the legislative definition of indigenous peoples and the status of the Crimean Tatar people as indigenous, Zelensky stressed.
Since the start of temporary occupation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, the issue of protection of the rights and legislative definition of the special status of the Crimean Tatar people in Ukraine has become even more relevant, the President noted.
"That is why our common task now is to protect the rights of Crimean Tatars, assist in the comprehensive development of language, culture, and preservation of the identity of the people who now cannot fully develop in their historical homeland - Crimea," the President said.
He added that it was very important for Ukraine to do everything possible to "restore the rights of the Crimean Tatar people as the indigenous people of Ukraine."
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine stressed the importance of drafting laws on indigenous peoples, the status of Crimean Tatars, and regulations to improve financial support from the state for the cultural development of indigenous peoples.
The International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples is celebrated annually on August 9 in accordance with the UN General Assembly resolution of 23 December 1994.
In the spring of 2014, Russia invaded part of Ukraine's territory - the Crimean Peninsula. On 16 March 2014, a "referendum" on the status of the peninsula was held in Crimea and Sevastopol, as a result of which Russia announced Crimea a part of the Russian Federation.
Ukraine, the European Union, the United States and other countries did not recognize the results of the "referendum" and imposed sanctions on Russia.
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