Today, newly appointed Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Ukraine, Mr. Luc Jacobs, visited the Mission. He presented his credentials to President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy in August of this year.

Luc Jacobs has served in diplomatic roles since 1986, working at Belgian embassies in Ireland, Canada, and the Czech Republic, leading the department for bilateral relations with EU countries, and holding various posts in Belgium’s Permanent Representation to the EU. During Belgium’s presidency of the EU in the second half of 2001, Luc Jacobs participated in the 5th Ukraine-European Union Summit, which took place in Yalta on September 11 of that year. This is his second term as Ambassador to Ukraine; he previously held a diplomatic post in Ukraine from 2014 to 2018.

During the meeting, the Permanent Representative shared the outcomes of the Fourth Summit of the Crimea Platform, the Third Parliamentary Summit recently held in Riga, and discussed the key areas of the Mission’s work, especially in developing policies for the safe reintegration of Crimea. Tamila Tasheva emphasized that Ukraine must prepare for these processes, highlighting the Mission’s active focus on restoring public governance in Crimea, fostering economic development, and advancing cognitive de-occupation efforts.

The discussion also covered the current situation in occupied Crimea, the plight of Ukrainian political prisoners, and the crimes committed by the occupiers, including the illegal detention of Ukrainian citizens, the imposition of Russian laws, and forced passportization of Ukrainian nationals. The Permanent Representative noted Russia’s colonial policies, stating that Russia today uses the same practices that the Russian Empire employed during the 1783 annexation of Crimea and the Soviet Union applied in the 1944 deportation of the Crimean Tatars.

“Despite pressure and intimidation, the residents of Crimea show resistance against the occupiers. Since the full-scale invasion, this resistance has only grown, as thousands of Crimeans realize that Ukraine is fighting for the liberation of Crimea not only through political and diplomatic means but also militarily,” the Permanent Representative said.

The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Belgium to Ukraine stressed the importance of calling things by their proper names, noting that the term “occupation of Crimea” should be used rather than “annexation” per legal classification. He also acknowledged Ukraine’s efforts in ratifying the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and its steadfast position on restoring its territorial integrity.

The Permanent Representative added that the issue of reclaiming all of Ukraine’s territories is fundamental to achieving a just peace, as outlined in Ukraine’s Peace Formula.

The discussion underscored the importance of shaping international perceptions of Crimea, countering Russian propaganda, and collaborating with the academic community. In this context, Tamila Tasheva mentioned the international initiative—the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies—championed by Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska, aimed at establishing new centers of Ukrainian studies worldwide, particularly focusing on Crimea.

Concluding the meeting, the Permanent Representative urged support for the public mentorship program for political prisoners unlawfully detained by Russia and for recognizing the deportation of the Crimean Tatars as an act of genocide, noting that Poland and Estonia recognized this deportation as genocide earlier this year.

Our gratitude goes to the Kingdom of Belgium for its ongoing support of Ukraine, including in defense assistance and contributions toward the reconstruction of our country and the support of our territorial integrity.