Dzheppar, British ambassador discuss creation of ‘Crimean platform’

First Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Emine Dzheppar said this during a meeting with British Ambassador to Ukraine Melinda Simmons on August 6, Ukrinform reports with reference to the Foreign Ministry’s press service.

“The initiative should strengthen the relevance of the Crimean issue for the international community,” Dzheppar stressed.

The first deputy minister briefed her interlocutor in detail on Russia's systemic violations of international law on the temporarily occupied peninsula and stressed the importance of creating a specialized international format – the Crimean platform, designed to systematize the coordination of international events at high and other political levels.

In turn, Melinda Simmons assured of London's steadfast position, which is the need for Russia to return Crimea, and expressed readiness to continue working with Ukraine in this direction.

During the meeting, special attention was paid to public diplomacy projects developed by the Foreign Ministry in order to overcome hybrid threats.

The parties also discussed a wide range of bilateral issues, confirming their interest in the soonest signing of the Agreement on Political Cooperation, Free Trade and Strategic Partnership between Ukraine and Great Britain, and prospects for political consultations between the foreign ministries of the two countries.

As Ukrinform reported, at a meeting chaired by Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine - Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories Oleksiy Reznikov on August 5, executive authorities coordinated their approaches to the strategy of de-occupation of Crimea. According to Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, such a document will be submitted to the NSDC for involvement in a common strategy document, which will finally be adopted.

Earlier, Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea Anton Korynevych drew attention to the need to develop a strategy for de-occupation and reintegration of the temporarily occupied territories. After all, it is already the seventh year of the occupation of Crimea, and Ukraine still does not have a consolidated strategy to regain control over the peninsula. At the same time, Korynevych noted that a great part of this strategy should be closed and secret, especially information relating to security issues.

ish