Austria delegates foreign minister to participate in Crimea Platform summit

"Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg will represent Austria at the inaugural summit of the Crimea Platform in Kyiv on August 23, 2021," the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs of the Republic of Austria told an Ukrinform correspondent.

Commenting on Austria's stance on the Crimea Platform, the diplomatic mission said that "Austria welcomes Ukraine's initiative to bring together the international community to keep the issue of the unacceptable illegal annexation of Crimea and its consequences on the international agenda."

"Respect for international law and respect for territorial integrity is the cornerstone of the European security order. Therefore, Austria condemns the illegal annexation and militarization of the Crimean Peninsula by the Russian Federation and supports Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders," the Ministry said.

The Crimea Platform is a new consultative and coordination format initiated by Ukraine to step up the efficiency of international response to the occupation of Crimea, respond to growing security challenges, increase international pressure on Russia, prevent further human rights violations, protect victims of the occupation regime, and achieve the main goal: to de-occupy Crimea and restore Ukraine’s sovereignty over the peninsula.

The Platform is to operate at several levels: heads of state and government, foreign ministers, inter-parliamentary cooperation, expert network.

The activity of the Crimea Platform will be officially launched at the inaugural summit in Kyiv on August 23, 2021.

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