In May, 24 2918 the Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in ARC Borys Babin and his First Deputy Izet Gdanov participated in the meeting  in the IV meeting of the Open Platform of Foreign Policy, Security and Diplomacy on the topic issue: “Crimea as a Territory of Injustice: Security, Defense, and Resistance”.

The participants of the event, co-organized by the Mission were the First Deputy Head of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Iryna Gerashchenko, the head of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Hanna Hopko, other People’s Deputies, representatives of the central executive bodies, diplomats, journalists, human rights defenders and civil activists.

It was discussed a practical approach in addressing the internal challenges of Ukraine concerning the Crimea annexation: from the simplifying the provision of administrative services to the Ukrainian citizens to the counteraction of economic relations with the peninsula and insurance of proper monitoring of ecological threats.

Iryna Gerashchenko admitted the relevance of the event and stressed that today the occupying peninsula remained the territory of injustice and systemic violence of Human Rights. “For four years the Mission of the International Committee of Red Cross was unable to visit not the detainees in the occupied Donbas nor the political detainees in annexed Crimea.” – marked Iryna Gerashchenko. “Policy of re-integration of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine as Crimea so Donbas should be built in a coherent strategy of the State including the usage of the International Law instruments – claims against the RF in the international courts and union of the international partners regarding sanctions imposing against Russia” – stressed Iryna Gerashchenko, concluding her speech.

Hanna Hopko pointed the de-occupation of Crimea was the most important, which the main aim was the restoration of sovereignty of Ukraine. As well as the core issue was the international and legal responsibility of the Russia for armed aggression against Ukraine. The Head of the Committee of Foreign Affairs said that Committee provided activity on inventory of all international agreements, concluded with the Russia and organization of aid to the political detainees’ families. “Also we are in a constant dialogue with the representatives of the Crimean Tatars, discussing how to implement the international platform like Normandy format on the de-occupation of Crimea” – stressed Hanna Hopko.

Borys Babin pointed out the current activity of the Mission on availability of the administrative services to the citizens of Ukraine, residing in Crimea, told about the enlarging the staff possibilities of the State Enterprise “Document” in Kherson region and the mutual collaboration of the Mission and the Ukrainian Parliament on the development of the legal instruments in order to provide the efficient aid to the Crimean residents, in particular the marriage certification and provision the secondary legal assistance to the citizens of Ukraine, residing in the temporarily occupied territory.

Also the Permanent Representative noted on the destructive activity of the chemical enterprises in Crimea and the illegal extraction of hydrocarbon and sand on the shelf of the Black Sea the by the enterprises regulated by the occupier, on militarization of the Azov Sea and the Kerch Straight by the state – aggressor. The Permanent Representative informed about the Plan on Urgent Measures on Counteraction of the Russian Aggression from the Temporarily Occupied Territory in Crimea, on Protection the Interests of State, Citizens of Ukraine and Ukrainian Legal Persons in Crimea for 2018-2019, developed by the Mission and which is going to be discussed at the meeting of the High-level Working Group in June, 2018.

Izet Gdanov emphasized the necessity to ensure urgently the proper legal and state governmental level in the territories adjacent to the administrative boundary line with temporarily occupied Crimea, particularly in Henichesk district of Kherson region. The First Deputy of the Permanent Representative stressed on the need to regulate the range of pressed issues on illegal passenger transportation, export and import of goods and services to/from Crimea and to impose the efficient and complex persecution of air line companies, maritime navigation structures, railway establishments engaged in illegal transportation to Crimea.

In May, 25 in continuation of the Open Platform, Borys Babin held a lecture in the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine for the representatives of the central executive bodies, diplomats, scientists, journalists, human Rights defenders and civil activists on theme: “Structure of International Organizations in Ukraine and Crimean Issues”