The Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea took part in the public seminar “De-Occupation of Crimea: When and How” held on the 23rdday of January, 2018 in Tallinn by the International Center for the Security and Defense together with the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Estonia. The seminar was opened by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia Mr. Sven Mikser; Ukrainian and Estonian experts and civil officers also participated in it. The Minister Mikser emphasized the European policy of non-recognition of illegal occupation of Crimea, situation with violation of Human Rights and Rights of Crimean Tatar People who recognized as Indigenous People at the international level, in Crimea by Russia.
In his speech, the Permanent Representative conveyed thanks of the President of Ukraine Mr. Petro Poroshenko to Estonia as a member of Group of Friends on De-occupation of Crimea, for Estonian position on supporting Ukraine under conditions of the Russian aggression that is permanently friendly. The participants discussed ways of possible application of the Estonian experience for development the e-governance for defense of rights and legal interests of the Crimean residents in mainland Ukraine and application of the Estonian experience in the field of counteraction against collaborants and agents of Russian influence under conditions of de-occupation. Borys Babin reported on the role of the Mission of the President in counteraction against Russian aggression from temporarily occupied Crimea, on the development of the Plan of Actions and on strategic vectors of work in this area.
During his visit to Tallinn Borys Babin also held working meetings with the Political Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia Mr. Paul Teesalu and with Member of Riigikogu (Parliament), Head of Parliamentary Group “Estonia-Ukraine” Mr. Johannes Kert. During meetings, the parties discussed issues of current situation in Crimea, escalation of repressions by the occupation authorities, militarization of peninsula as a threat for European and global security, as well as ways of possible Ukraine-Estonian cooperation under conditions of aggressive conflicts unleashed by Russia. A special attention was paid to the harassment of cultural and educational rights of the Ukrainian citizens, who belong to the Estonian ethnic minority and traditionally residing in Crimea since middle of XIX century, by occupation authorities.
Speech of Dr. Borys Babin,
Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea
on Public seminar “De-occupation of Crimea: when and how?”
at the International Centre for Defense and Security,
23rd day of January 2018, Tallinn, Estonia
Honored Minister Mikser, Your Excellences, distinguished colleagues!
I am deeply proud to be here with You on a free land of Estonia, de-occupied from the Soviet Empire almost three decades ago. The Soviet occupation of Estonia had been lasting for more than fifty years after only twenty years of Estonian independence, struggled during the collapse of the Russian Empire. Crimean peninsula also had been developing as a part of independent Ukraine for twenty-three years only after collapse of the Soviet Empire and then was occupied by Russia again. So, we have a very close history of aggression and occupation of Russia against Ukraine and Estonia and our experience in framework of de-occupation activities may be extremely useful to each other.
I have to mention the words of the President of Ukraine Mr. Petro Poroshenko and express gratitude to the Estonian Government and People for a strong support of the territorial integrity of Ukraine in all stages of international relations, for Estonian membership in the Group of Friends on De-occupation of Crimea.
Since August, 2017 I have been representing a Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea established in 1992 soon after the restoration of the Crimean Autonomy as part of Ukraine, statute of our Mission as a constitutional state authority body of Ukraine reflected in a separate Art. 139 of the Constitution of Ukraine, and in a special Law of Ukraine № 1524-III, 2000.
Our Mission has representative, nominating, analytical, information and human rights protection functions that lied in promoting the observance of constitutional rights and freedoms of indigenous peoples and citizens and in achieving the interethnic harmony, social, economic and political stability in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. After the armed seizure of the Crimean peninsula by the aggressor State in February 2014, by the order of the President of Ukraine, the Mission was re-located from Simferopol in the city of Kherson, which is territorially adjacent to the administrative border with the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.
The new stage of the Mission’s functioning was determined by the Decree of the President of Ukraine № 16/2016, 2016. This document has significantly enhanced the Human Rights and international relations` dimensions of the Mission’s activities, provided for establishment of separate structural units of the Mission in the city of Kyiv, with preservation of its main office’s location in the city of Kherson.
Our Mission enforced in 2017 the cooperation with central and regional governmental authorities in Ukraine, introduced a mechanism of regular monitoring of situation connected with the internally displaced persons, performed analysis of legislation in the context of issues connected with Crimea to resolve them; it systematically studies social, economic and political processes on the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine, provides informational support to all types of its activities.
Of course, we have a lot of tasks and duties concerning Crimea in competence of other relevant Ukrainian state bodies and structures. I will not talk now about coherent tasks of the Ministry of Defense, State Boarder Guard service or Security of Defense Council of Ukraine. However, we may mention the functions of MFA of Ukraine in broadest areas of external policy, including universal, regional intergovernmental organizations, European Union, in proceeding in the International Court of Justice (ICRD) and in Arbitral Tribunal (UNCLOS) against Russia that will issue coherent international political and legal binding documents concerning illegality of the occupation and annexation of Crimea. We may point out the activities of the Ministry of Justice for two large-grounded applications against aggressor State in the European Court of Human Rights related to the Crimean issues.
During 2014-2017, some attempts to revitalize the Ukrainian state governance for Crimean issues was made. Not only our Mission was moved to the city of Kherson, but the Central Administrations of National Police and Special Service in the AR Crimea and Sevastopol, Prosecutors` office in the AR Crimea were reestablished in mainland Ukraine too. The State Service for the AR Crimea and Sevastopol, Internally Displaced Persons was established in 2014 but soon it was united with State Donbass Agency to the Ministry of the Temporal Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons. Besides, the Commissioner of the President of Ukraine for the Issues of the Crimean Tatar People both as the Mejhlis of the Crimean Tatar People are acting in mainland now, representing the interests of this Indigenous People of Ukraine.
At the same time, the work of the Ukrainian authorities on de-occupation and reintegration of the peninsula had been staying at low level of coherence and coordination for a long time from the beginning of occupation of Crimea in 2014. In particular, until recently, significant funds of the international technical assistance or funds of the State Budget of Ukraine for solving urgent problems of Crimea’s reintegration and de-occupation had not been attracted by the central executive bodies.
After establishment of a special Ministry, other central executive bodies continue to carry out their own functions related to the temporarily occupied territories and internally displaced persons within the limits of competence specified by the legislation.
The establishment of separate units of law enforcement agencies on Crimean issues in the mainland Ukraine became an important step in ensuring the counteraction to the Russian aggression on the peninsula. At the same time, it should be noted some delay for elaboration the complete, integrated mechanism of criminal, procedural and special investigative policy for urgent issues of reintegration and de-occupation of Crimea and counteraction to the Russian aggression on the peninsula.
The issue of enhancing interaction between executive authorities and law enforcement bodies with judicial authorities, people’s deputies of Ukraine, Crimean Tatar People’s self-government bodies, research and expert institutions remains to be urgent. Today our Mission ensures interaction between public organizations and governmental bodies of Ukraine in this field. The choice of the location of the Mission in Kherson with a separate subdivision in Kyiv is considered to be a good form of territorial organization of the state administration on the issues of de-occupation and reintegration of Crimea.
Under these circumstances in the end of 2017, our Mission gave to President of Ukraine some urgent and expedient propositions in area of de-occupation of Crimea.
We constant the inadmissibility of substitution of work of the state authorities of Ukraine in relation to the formation and implementation of policy regarding Crimea for the work of Human Rights, volunteer and other non-governmental organizations in future. We determined the importance of strengthening the quality of analytical work on economic, security, social, humanitarian and other processes taking place in Crimea under conditions of the Russian occupation including the continuous receiving of relevant information from all competent authorities, its qualitative elaboration.
We established this month the Expert Council of the Mission as a platform for concentration of scientific and expert opinion on the urgent issues of de-occupation and reintegration of Crimea. We initiated the concentration of the subdivisions of law enforcement agencies and other competent state bodies in the field of reintegration and de-occupation of Crimea, counteraction to the Russian aggression on the peninsula, in Kherson Region for multilateral coordination of such activities.
Next month we will establish the High-Level Working Group composed of the representatives of all competent central authorities under with periodic elaboration of topical issues of reintegration and de-occupation of Crimea, including working out of the Plan of Actions of urgent measures in the field of counteraction to the Russian aggression from the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine in Crimea, for protection the interests of the state, of citizens of Ukraine and of Ukrainian legal entities in Crimea and Strategy of Reintegration of Crimea as a set of measures to be taken after de-occupation of the peninsula.
What may our Estonian friends do for de-occupation of Crimea in modern conditions?
I may suggest that a key issue of counteraction to the Russian aggression in Ukraine is a permanent and sustainable execution of modern sanctions established by the Civilized Nations, including EU sanctions.
Moreover, the Estonian membership in EU may be a unique chance to establish the system of control, execution and implementation of such sanctions in key areas of human development such as financial sector, energetic, industry, maritime and air transport and communications. In addition, I hope Estonia will be the best advocate of such interests of Ukraine in EU.
Moreover, the issue of defense and security bilateral support of our countries is important regarding to ongoing Russian aggression against the Civilized Nations. Russian military activities in Donbass is a tool to stop the de-occupation of Crimea, the occupied Crimea now is a tool for Russian aggression in Syria and other part of Mediterranean and the Near East region. Therefore, the issue of Crimea is an integral part of global agenda of the Civilized Nations and destruction of Russian global aggressive strategy may be considered as a sufficient tool for de-occupation my native peninsula.
In addition, Estonia have some good experience for Ukraine in solving some urgent problems. The first one is a reintegration of de-occupied territory under conditions of presence of a great number of illegal non-citizens, representing the State occupant, illegal property owners, hidden and open collaborants and Russian influence agents. Estonia pursued an effective policy in this field in the end of XX century and such political, administrative and legal mechanisms may be implemented by Ukraine in the de-occupied Crimea.
And another Estonian experience in field of the e-governance is more urgent for us today, as we have territory with two millions of Ukrainian citizens, residing on it, and safe Internet communication with them may be a good tool for realization of their civil, political and cultural rights by the authorities of Ukraine, and for provision of those Ukrainian citizens with the integral set of administrative services.
In addition, we are ready to cooperate with our Estonian friends in these or any other relevant issues of de-occupation of Crimea, in light of the fact that stopping the Russian aggression against the commonwealth of the Civilized Nations is a part of our common goal.