Members of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Met With Mr Jan Tombinski, Head of Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine

30 April 2013

On April 30, 2013 in Aqmescit (Simferopol) the First Vice Chairman of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Refat Chubarov met with Mr Jan Tombinski, the Ambassador, Head of Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine, making his working visit to Crimea.

The meeting was also attended by the Head of the Department of foreign relations of Mejlis Ali Hamzin and coordinator of the EU joint initiative in Crimea and Sevastopol Mr Entso Damiani.

The participants of the meeting discussed a range of issues, relating to the public and political situation in Crimea and situation with the Crimean Tatar people. At this, Refat Chubarov informed Mr Jan Tombinski in details about the increasing tension in the relations between Crimean executive authorities and the supreme representative body of the Crimean Tatar people – Mejlis. “The unwillingness of the Crimean authorities to carry a dialogue with Crimean Tatars results in the absurd decisions,”- Refat Chubarov noted. Thus, the order of the Council of Ministers of Crimea imposes the Crimean Tatar community to hold the multiple small events to celebrate the Crimean Tatar national festival “Hydyrlez” on absolutely other days then those that Crimean Tatars have been celebrating it for centuries. Considering that the authorities unilaterally prescribed to celebrate the festival on May 10, 11 and 12, 2013 – the days that Crimean Tatars associate with the tragic events of 1944, makes the community think that the executive authorities of Crimea provoke people intentionally and try to humiliate the national memory and humble the dignity of the whole people.”

On April 30, 2013 in Aqmescit (Simferopol) the First Vice Chairman of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Refat Chubarov met with Mr Jan Tombinski, the Ambassador, Head of Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine, making his working visit to Crimea.

The meeting was also attended by the Head of the Department of foreign relations of Mejlis Ali Hamzin and coordinator of the EU joint initiative in Crimea and Sevastopol Mr Entso Damiani.

The participants of the meeting discussed a range of issues, relating to the public and political situation in Crimea and situation with the Crimean Tatar people. At this, Refat Chubarov informed Mr Jan Tombinski in details about the increasing tension in the relations between Crimean executive authorities and the supreme representative body of the Crimean Tatar people – Mejlis. “The unwillingness of the Crimean authorities to carry a dialogue with Crimean Tatars results in the absurd decisions,”- Refat Chubarov noted. Thus, the order of the Council of Ministers of Crimea imposes the Crimean Tatar community to hold the multiple small events to celebrate the Crimean Tatar national festival “Hydyrlez” on absolutely other days then those that Crimean Tatars have been celebrating it for centuries. Considering that the authorities unilaterally prescribed to celebrate the festival on May 10, 11 and 12, 2013 – the days that Crimean Tatars associate with the tragic events of 1944, makes the community think that the executive authorities of Crimea provoke people intentionally and try to humiliate the national memory and humble the dignity of the whole people.”