On 9 August, the Permanent Representative Tamila Tasheva met with the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Albania in Ukraine, Mr Shahin Omarov. 

The meeting was also attended by MP of Ukraine Ihor Negulevskyi and Head of the Crimean Platform’s Support Service Maria Tomak. 

At the beginning of the meeting, Mr Shahin Omarov spoke about the terrorist acts of the Russian regime in the Kharkiv region, which destroyed the building of the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Albania in Kharkiv and the private house of the Honorary Consul. Given that these are the only diplomatic buildings that were destroyed during the full-scale invasion, and taking into account Albania’s tough stance on Russian aggression, it is difficult to consider these attacks accidental.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the importance of involving the Albanian leadership in the activities of the Crimean Platform. The Permanent Representative also asked Mr. Shahin Omarov to assist in establishing communication with the representatives of the Albanian Parliament and establishing the Crimean Platform.

It is worth noting that Mr Shahin Omarov paid a visit to the Mission back in 2021. Then the Honorary Consul took part in the opening of the Crimean Platform Office, where he personally planted a Crimean pine tree. A few days after that, Mr Omarov visited the administrative border with the occupied peninsula with a group of parliamentarians from Poland, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Georgia, and Spain.

We thank the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Albania in Ukraine for his visit to the Mission and comprehensive support of Ukraine, in particular for his leadership in condemning the actions of the Russian Federation at the international arena.