Chairman of Mejlis Mustafa Jemilev Meets Mr. Vidas Gedvilas, Speaker of Lithuanian Seimas

26 June 2013

On June 26, 2013, Mustafa Jemilev, Chairman of the Mejlis of Crimean Tatar People met with Mr. Vidas Gedvilas, Speaker of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania.

The meeting was held in the framework of the working visit of the delegation of the Mejlis of Crimean Tatar People to Lithuania.

Mr Refat Chubarov, Vice Chairman of Mejlis, Mr Ali Hamzin, Head of the Foreign Relations Department at Mejlis, Mr Aslan Omer Qirimli, Delegate of the Qurultay of Crimean Tatar People, the Head of Crimean Tatar Community in Kyiv, Mr Mantvydas Bekešius, Advisor on foreign policy issues to the Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas, Mr Adas Jakubauskas, Head of the Union of the Communities of Lithuanian Tatars and representative of Mejlis in Lithuania also joined the meeting.

Mejlis Head Mustafa Jemilev informed Mr. Vidas Gedvilas, Speaker of the Seimas of Lithuania about the modern situation of Crimean Tatar people and preparation to the International Forum on restoration of the rights of Crimean Tatar people in their Homeland and ensuring their safety and guaranteeing the development in Ukraine.

“Lithuania’s coming chairing in the European Union, as well as the ratification of the EU – Ukraine Association Agreement scheduled on November 2013 let us hope for the EU’s particular attention to the issues relating to the restoration of the Crimean Tatar people’s rights,”- Mustafa Jemilev noted. He also made a range of particular proposals that could be implemented with support of Lithuania.

Mr. Vidas Gedvilas, Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas noted that Lithuania and the Lithuanian people sincerely wish Ukraine success in the ratification of the EU–Ukraine Association Agreement in November 2013. “We do our best to complete this process successfully. Of course, the situation with the national minorities in Ukraine is very important. In this respect we think that the problems of the Crimean Tatars could be solved more effectively as the process of Ukraine’s integration into the EU deepens. Consequently, all together we must find the forms of implementation of the declared proposals to Lithuania as a member of the EU,”- Mr. Vidas Gedvilas mentioned.

Mr. Vidas Gedvilas and Mustafa Jemilev also discussed the issues of the participation of the representatives of Lithuania in a range of events, dedicated to the Crimean Tatar problem that will be held by the EU institutes and officials in 2013.