This was communicated by the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Emine Dzhaparova at the meeting with the Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine Matti Maasikas on 20 October 2020. 

Emine Dzhaparova stated that active advocacy phase, which has been already started by Ukraine’s political leadership, envisages active communication with international partners on the details and substantial elements of the Crimean Platform campaign, initiated by the President of Ukraine.

First Deputy Minister noted that the Crimean Platform would become a new international format aimed at increasing the effectiveness and the coordination of efforts of the international community to de-occupy Crimea and protect human rights and interests of the Crimeans, as well as at formalizing and systematizing all the existing and new formats of cooperation in the sphere of de-occupation of the Ukrainian peninsula.

“The Platform will facilitate the strengthening of the international non-recognition policy of Russia's attempted annexation of Crimea, will create additional possibilities of a more efficient response to the increasing threats stemming from Russia’s militarization of the peninsula, will help increase international political pressure on the Kremlin as well as will prevent further human rights violations”, - Emine Dzhaparova said.

First Deputy Minister thanked Matti Maasikas for the readiness of the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine to hold a thematic briefing for EU member-states to provide further details of Ukraine’s views on the EU-related activities of the Crimean Platform. Emine Dzhaparova also informed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine would hold such briefings for Ukraine’s partners from outside the EU as well.

For reference: The Crimean Platform is to function on several levels: the highest political level of Heads of State and Government, the level of foreign and defense ministers, the inter-parliamentary level and the level of non-governmental experts.  

An expert network within the Platform will be established to support governmental efforts and to engage additional expertise resources. The network will provide the Platform with informational and analytical support and will play an active role in ensuring the Platform’s public visibility. The network will be open for participation of prominent Ukrainian and foreign experts on the issue of Crimea – representatives of NGOs, think tanks and academic institutions.