On February 27, Permanent Representative Olha Kuryshko participated in a “Strasbourg Format” meeting.

It focused on the Ukrainian legislative and institutional frameworks and the actions necessary for safeguarding the identity of the Crimean Tatar people in the temporarily occupied territories, both at present and in the post-war period.

During her speech, Olha Kuryshko noted that in the context of 12 years of Crimea’s occupation, it is necessary to expand the legislative framework to ensure the rights and freedoms of the Crimean Tatar people and to secure the status of their representative body, the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People. She recalled that the law “On Indigenous Peoples” was adopted in 2021. However, she stated that a framework law is not sufficient, as it does not account for the historical experience of the Crimean Tatar people — genocide, occupation, and current persecution.

Separately, the Permanent Representative added that the preservation of the language and culture of the Crimean Tatar people, as an Indigenous people of Ukraine, is part of the state’s policy for protecting the rights of indigenous peoples, especially under the conditions of a prolonged occupation.

The meeting was organized with the support of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Council of Europe, and the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM). The event brought together representatives of state authorities and the Crimean Tatar community.