June 10, 2011 Bakhchisaray Ceremonial Opening of Touristic – Information Center

10 June 2011

On June 10, 2011 the Ceremonial Opening of the Touristic – Information Center was held in Bakhchisaray created with the financial support of the Crimean office of the project of the US Agency of International Development (USAID) “Local investments and national competitiveness” (LINC) and the Embassy of the Czech Republic to Ukraine.

The ceremonial opening was attended by the members of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, representatives of the republican authorities, Bakhchisaray regional state administration and Bakhchisaray town council, touristic business of Crimea, diplomats accredited in Ukraine, including the heads of the General and Honored consulates opened in Crimea, residents and guests of Bakhchisaray.

The first deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Jiří Schneider, the Chairman of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Mustafa Jemilev, director of Crimean office of the project of the US Agency of International Development (USAID) “Local investments and national competitiveness” (LINC) Jeffrey Lubby, first deputy Minister of resorts and tourism of Crimea Alexander Live, head of Bakhchisaray regional state administration Ilmi Umerov expressed their congratulations and wishes of success to the Center in development of tourism in the region.

The Chairman of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, MP of Ukraine Mustafa Jemilev greeted the participants of the ceremonial opening on the ancient land of the historical capital of Crimean khanate and congratulated the residents of Bakhchisaray with opening of the Center. “Opening of the Touristic – Information Center is very significant for Bakhchisaray, because first of all it would favor to the development of tourism and correspondingly improvement of prosperity of the residents of Bakhchisaray region irrespective of their ethnic origin,”- underscored Mejlis’ leader. “We hope that the Center’s activity would make its contribution to acquaintance of Crimean guests with the culture of the indigenous people of Crimea – Crimean Tatars, as well as contribute to further development of comfortable dialogue between all ethnic groups living in our blessed land”.

Mustafa Jemilev on behalf of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people expressed his hearty words of gratitude to the Government of the Czech Republic and the US Agency of International Development (USAID) for their assistance in opening of the Center in Bakhchisaray. Moreover, Mejlis’ leader added that literary right before the beginning of the ceremonial opening in my interview to Liberty Radio station I answered the question “Why such small country as the Czech Republic provided assistance when other European states stood aside?” I answered that those countries that happened to live in the communist “camp” can better understand us.

After the ceremonial opening of the Center the Chairman of Mejlis Mustafa Jemilev and the first deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Jiří Schneider along with the head of the project Elmira Ablyalimova and the employees of the Center made the first stage of marking of one of the tourist routs – Khan-Saray.

Then the guests and participants of the event were invited to the presentation of festivals and other cultural programs held in Bakhchisaray region. The evening ended up with a colorful original concert with performances of the famous artists of Crimean Tatar folklore.

It should be noted that on June 11, 2011 Saturday the review of the tourist routs is planned developed in the project on creation of TIC, as well as the presentation of the schedule of the events in Bakhchisaray region on the current year.

Reference:In February 2011 the Embassy of the Czech Republic to Ukraine and the public organization “Agency of Regional Development “Bakhchisaray”” signed an agreement on implementation of the project of development of tourism in Bakhchisaray region.

This project is the first stage to implementation of the Strategy of sustainable development of Bakhchisaray region up to 2017.