On 23 August, the Third Summit of the International Crimea Platform took place in Kyiv. The event was opened by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba also addressed the Summit participants.
In his speech, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the main task of the Crimea Platform was to prepare for the de-occupation of Crimea and that Ukraine had a clear path to restore the territorial integrity and post-war transformation of the peninsula.
"The Black Sea is the key to global food and, therefore, social stability. Crimea is the key to security in the Black Sea. We cannot leave the keys in the hands of terrorists, and we will not. Ukraine has a clear vision of how normal, peaceful, fair and democratic life will be restored in Crimea after we dismantle Russian tyranny on our Ukrainian peninsula," the President of Ukraine stressed.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba emphasized that Ukraine prevented Russia from concealing the Crimea matter and compelling the global community to acknowledge the temporary occupation as an established status quo.
"Russia's full-scale invasion has not weakened, but rather strengthened the Platform and our common determination to return Crimea to Ukraine. The number of participants and the geography of support continue to expand. The Platform now covers Europe, Africa, Asia and America. No matter how much time passes, the crime of occupation will be punished. Respect for the UN Charter must be restored, and Crimea must be returned to Ukraine," said Dmytro Kuleba.
"For me and for hundreds of thousands of Crimeans, Crimea is home. Just as Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions are home to millions of Ukrainians who were forced by Russia to leave their homeland. Therefore, the Crimea Platform is not only about the peninsula itself, but also about our other temporarily occupied territories and people. Our mission is a very noble one - to return the home to those from whom it was taken away," said First Deputy Minister Emine Dzhaparova.
Representatives of foreign states and international organisations reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and renewed their assurances of continued support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian invaders.
The event was attended by the Presidents of Lithuania, Portugal and Hungary, the Chairman and member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Prime Ministers of Moldova and Finland, the Minister of Defense of the Netherlands, the Senior Advisor to President of Türkiye, the Secretary General of GUAM and the Director General of the Secretariat of the Danube Commission. The rest of the participants took part online or via video message.
The participants also expressed support for the President Zelenskyy’s Peace Formula.
For the first time, the Summit was attended by representatives of Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Serbia, Timor-Leste, the World Tourism Organization, UNESCO and the Danube Commission.
As an outcome of the Summit, the final document was published.
For reference: The Crimea Platform is an international consultative and coordination format initiated by Ukraine to improve the effectiveness of the international response to the ongoing occupation of Crimea, increase international pressure on Russia, and achieve the main goal of de-occupying the peninsula and fully restoring Ukraine's sovereignty over Crimea.
This year's Summit was held in a hybrid format.
The Summit consisted of three panels: "Strengthening Security in the Black Sea and Baltic Sea Regions", "Economic Development and Post-War Recovery", and "Humanitarian Situation and Protection of Human Rights".
In addition, a separate event for business “Economic Recovery and Rebuilding of Crimea” was held on the sidelines of the Summit.