In May, 21 2018 the First Deputy of the Permanent Representative Izet Gdanov and the official of the Mission`s  Department of International Connections Valeria Pahomova held a working meeting with Mr Juan Pablo Bohoslavsky, the UN ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Independent Expert on the effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of States on the full enjoyment of all human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights.

In the cause of the meeting it was discussed the influence of the situation of the temporarily occupied Crimea on the exercising of the Human Rights in the occupied Crimea, particularly the issues concerned the real investment policy of the state-aggressor in Crimea directed on the militarization of the region and development of the relevant infrastructural military and double-use projects such as thermal power stations, highway “Tavrida” and Kerch Straight Bridge by ignoring the real practical needs of the population of the region which are guaranteed by the IV Geneva Convention were highlighted.

Separately a significant negative impact of the Russian aggression, of the temporarily occupation of Crimea, of the illegal negative control of the Russia over the Ukrainian maritime spaces of Azov and Black Seas and Kerch Straight on the investment potential in the implementation of the foreign debt were discussed. The negative role of the illegal non-payment by the Russia from 2014 its financial commitments for the Black Sea Fleet residing in Crimea, the non-compliance by the aggressor state other treaty obligations, the misappropriation of property of Ukraine and property of AR Crimea by the occupiers were considered. The destructive character of the recent decisions, taken by the higher Russian authorities to avoid the fulfillment of the own finical obligations in accordance with the decisions of the international juridical bodies, contending that payment of such funds allegedly “influences negatively” on the exercising of the social rights of the Russian citizens was specially pointed.

It was recognized that the population of the aggressor state will undoubtedly take the financial responsibility for the aggression against Ukraine, Ukrainian legal persons, citizens and other countries, another international crimes for the material and other damage caused during the period of aggression and temporarily occupation of the territory of Ukraine in conjunction with Russian state authorities.

Izet Gdanov pointed out the common position of Civilized Nations concerning the highlighted issues becomes particularly relevant in the context of widespread violations of the rights of Indigenous Crimean Tatar People by the Russian occupying authorities, including constant housing searches, arrests, unprecedented repressions, hybrid deportations and activists detention, showing the examples of such violations and discussion the illegal prohibition of Mejlis of Crimean Tatar People in the Crimea.

The First Deputy called on to strengthen the legal sanctions and appropriate economic pressure on the Russia at the international level, to provide efficient legal sanctions against the companies and persons who are guilty the constant repressions and harassments in Crimea. Izet Gdanov noted the lack of possibility to visit the occupied Crimea by the independent monitoring missions due to the destructive position of the aggressor state.

The results of the meeting were reflected in the Press-statement of the UN Independent Expert made on May, 23 2018 in Kyiv, where the necessity to increase of the military expenditures by Ukraine was stated. The Independent Expert in his Press-statement highlighted the need to protect the ethnic groups` rights, stressed on the negative consequences of the temporarily occupation of Crimea and the war in the East for the economy of Ukraine and subsequently for the foreign debt and problems concerned of Human Rights` exercising.

Independent Expert pointed that it was difficult to determine the economic losses caused by the temporarily occupation for Ukraine because they included the temporarily captured property and annexed territories, loss of tax revenues from the economic activity, damage of the public infrastructure and property as well as the private property (housing, individual and corporative property). It was contended that Ukraine in such circumstances should significantly restructure its own budget to provide appropriate defense waste and strengthening its military potential. It was contended by the Independent Expert that such damage was estimated, as minimum, at a hundred milliards of US dollars.