Kuleba, Yermak during U.S. visit discuss Crimean Platform work following Kyiv summit
Minister for Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba and Head of the President’s Office Andriy Yermak during their meetings with U.S. officials in Washington discussed how the Crimean Platform initiative would function after the inaugural summit was held.
That’s according to the comment Kuleba provided to Ukrinform.
"The United States was one of the first to support the Crimean Platform," he said. "Today we have heard many words of support for the continued work of the Crimean Platform."
According to the minister, the platform as such "has already become a reality – it is a fact, it will take place," he added.
During the meetings, the parties discussed what would happen after the summit rather than the event itself, the top diplomat explained.
"And we had a friendly and objective conversation about it with our American panthers," the minister stressed.
On August 4-5, Yermak and Kuleba were in Washington as part of preparations for President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to the United States in late August.
As reported earlier, the Crimean Platform is a new consultative and coordination format initiated by Ukraine to increase the effectiveness of the international response to the temporary occupation of Crimea, respond to security challenges, strengthen international pressure on Russia, prevent further human rights violations, and protect victims of the occupation authorities, as well as achieve its ultimate goal – deoccupation of Crimea and its return to Ukraine.
Thirty-one states and international organizations have confirmed their participation in the Crimean Platform summit to be held on August 23 in Kyiv.
According to preliminary information, the United States is likely to be represented at the event by Secretary of Transportation Peter Buttigieg.
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