“Direct threat to international security”: The III Parliamentary Summit of the Crimean Platform issued a joint statement addressing Russian aggression.

Participants of the III International Parliamentary Summit of the Crimean Platform, which took place in the capital of Latvia, Riga, on October 23-24, adopted a joint statement condemning Russia's actions towards Ukraine and, in particular, Crimea, in the strongest possible terms, and outlined further actions to support our country in countering Russian aggression.

The text of the document was published on the website of the Crimean Platform.

The summit participants reaffirmed their unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its 1991 borders, rejecting Russia's attempts to occupy Crimea and Sevastopol, as well as parts of the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia regions.

The document noted that such actions by the aggressor state grossly violate the goals and principles of the UN Charter and pose a direct threat to international security with serious consequences for the international legal order.

Additionally, the participants highlighted that the ongoing Russian armed aggression has led to numerous abuses of the norms and principles of international law, violations of human rights, and breaches of international humanitarian law in the occupied territories.

They firmly condemned the actions of the Russian Federation regarding:

• the illegal, unprovoked, and unjustified aggressive war by Russia against Ukraine and the prolonged missile and drone strikes by Russia on the civilian population of Ukraine, civilian infrastructure, and cities across Ukraine;
• the conduct of any "referendums" and "elections" in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, including the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, as illegal and devoid of any legal force;
• the establishment of any so-called parliamentary structures in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine as a result of such "elections";
• the inclusion of deputies who obtained mandates through such illegal "elections" into the State Duma of the Russian Federation;
• the ongoing violations of human rights and norms of international humanitarian law in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, particularly in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol;
• the political persecution of civilians, journalists, and human rights defenders, the abduction and detention of civilians without communication with the outside world, the use of torture, inhumane and degrading treatment, and other numerous violations of international law in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, particularly violations of the rights of indigenous peoples of Ukraine;
• the forced relocation and deportation of Ukrainian civilians, including children, illegal adoptions on the territory of Russia, and the transfer of Ukrainian children from one national group to another, including the forced granting of Russian citizenship;
• the deliberate actions aimed at destroying the national identity, traditions, and culture of the population in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine;
• the persecution and discrimination of Ukrainians and the indigenous Crimean Tatar people, and the banning and criminalization of their legitimate representative bodies, depriving them of the opportunity to freely express, preserve, and develop their identity, as well as to support and develop their culture, free from any attempts at forced assimilation against their will;
• the ongoing militarization of the Crimean Peninsula by Russia, undermining security and stability in the Black and Azov Sea region, hindering freedom of navigation and global food security.

In light of the above, the summit participants declared their intentions to continue and enhance parliamentary support for Ukraine aimed at restoring its sovereignty and territorial integrity within the 1991 borders. This will be achieved by providing necessary political, financial, military, and diplomatic assistance.

They also stated their commitment to assist, within their competence as national parliaments, in implementing President Volodymyr Zelensky's Peace Formula as the only effective peace plan for restoring Ukraine's territorial integrity and ensuring a just and lasting peace for Ukraine and the entire region.

Ukraine's partners will continue to provide comprehensive support for international investigations into war crimes, human rights violations, and crimes against humanity committed by the Russian occupation administration in the occupied territories of Ukraine, particularly in Crimea and Sevastopol.

At the same time, they will support the introduction and further strengthening of sanctions against the Russian Federation and will do their utmost to secure the release of all political prisoners and other civilians detained in the context of Russian aggression.

The summit participants will call on global parliamentary structures to refrain from cooperating with the corresponding Russian entities and delegations that include representatives who obtained mandates as a result of illegal elections in the occupied territories.

Memorial activities honoring the victims of the 1944 Crimean Tatar deportation will also continue.

The countries participating in the summit will promote various initiatives of the Crimean Platform until the occupied territories, including Crimea, are returned under Ukraine's control, demand an immediate cessation of hostilities by Russia, the liberation of all occupied territories of Ukraine, refrain from any contacts with so-called representatives of Russian occupation forces, take measures to reduce Russia's economic capacity and its ability to sustain armed aggression, and similar actions.

“We emphasize that it is necessary to end the aggressive war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and restore its sovereignty and territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders to restore respect for the UN Charter and the norms and principles of international law. We call on other states and organizations to join the Crimean Platform,” the joint statement reads.

The full text of the document adopted following the III Parliamentary Summit of the Crimean Platform can be read: in Ukrainian – here, in English – here.

We remind you that the III Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimean Platform took place in Riga on October 23-24, 2024, organized by the Parliament of the Republic of Latvia in cooperation with the Expert Network of the Crimean Platform, the Latvian Platform for Development Cooperation (LAPAS), and the Latvian Institute of International Affairs.

Delegations from more than 40 countries around the world and representatives of international organizations confirmed their participation in the event.

The two previous parliamentary summits of the Crimean Platform were held in Zagreb (Croatia) and Prague (Czech Republic).

Earlier, ZMINA reported that a documentary film by Ukrainian Crimean Tatar journalist, screenwriter, and producer Akim Galimov, titled “The Real Story of Crimea,” was shown to participants of the III Parliamentary Summit of the Crimean Platform in the capital of Latvia, Riga.