Slovenia supports creation of Crimean Platform – Foreign Ministry

They discussed these issues during a meeting on October 27, the Foreign Ministry’s press service reported.

"Slovenia supports the initiative to create the Crimean Platform," the Foreign Ministry said following the meeting.

Dzheppar expressed gratitude to Slovenia for its consistent support of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

She informed the ambassador in detail about the numerous violations of human rights by Russia in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea, and also focused on the militarization of the Azov-Black Sea region and the transformation of the occupied Crimea into a Russian military base.

At the same time, the first deputy minister emphasized the de facto blockade of Ukrainian church activities in Crimea and stressed the importance of the international community's attention to religious freedoms and oppression in the occupied peninsula.

The parties discussed the broad agenda of bilateral cooperation within the framework of international organizations, and also reaffirmed their mutual readiness to closely interact in the UN and OSCE on a wide range of issues of common interest.

In turn, Ambassador Mencin stressed that Ukraine can firmly rely on the Slovenian support during its chairmanship within the EU in the second half of 2021, and also assured that Ljubljana will continue to implement measures in support of the decentralization program in Ukraine.

In addition, Dzheppar expressed gratitude to the Slovenian ambassador for his country’s practical contribution to the rehabilitation of children affected by Russian aggression, as well as for inviting Ukrainian students and young scientists to take advantage of the opportunity to study in Slovenia at its expense.

As reported, on September 23, President Volodymyr Zelensky presented the concept of the International Crimean Platform to the UN and invited international partners to join the initiative for de-occupation of the peninsula.

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