The Permanent Representative Tamila Tasheva took part in the press conference on the occasion of the Day of the Crimean Tatar Flag “United by the Flags of Freedom”, organized by the Crimean Tatar Resource Center.

The press conference was also attended by: Head of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center Eskender Bariev, Head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Refat Chubarov, First Deputy Head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience Viktoriia Voynalovych and Communications Manager of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center Tatiana Podvorniak.

Ms. Tasheva told the audience that Crimean Tatars will play a key role in the de-occupation of Crimea and about all that Ukraine is already doing for the indigenous Crimean Tatar people. She recalled the event with the participation of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the Day of Remembrance of the Crimean Tatar Genocide, where he also announced the initiation of a memorial to commemorate the crime committed against the Crimean Tatars, as well as the victims of deportation and the strength of this people.

“Since 2014, the beginning of the war, the resistance on the Crimean peninsula has always been marked by the raising of the Crimean Tatar flag at the most important and significant events. Despite bans and threats from the occupiers, Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars continue to raise the national and Crimean Tatar flags over their homes or other places, even sometimes in a guerrilla fashion. Of course, this leads to criminal prosecutions, administrative arrests and fines, but we see how Crimean residents continue to fight against all odds,” Ms. Tasheva said.

In particular, the Permanent Representative said that a number of decisions and certain modalities are already being prepared to recognize the Day of the Crimean Tatar flag at the state level.