Chairman of Mejlis Mr Refat Chubarov Meets Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Latvia to Ukraine Ms Argita Daudze and Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Lithuania to Ukraine Mr Petras Vaitiekūnas

04 March 2014

On March 4, 2014, Mr Refat Chubarov, Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People met with Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Latvia to Ukraine Ms Argita Daudze and Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Lithuania to Ukraine Mr Petras Vaitiekūnas.

Mr Nariman Jelyal, Vice Chairman of the Mejlis also joined the meeting.

According to the ambassadors of Latvia and Lithuania to Ukraine told that the main goal of their visit to Crimea is studying of the situation onsite.

“Coming down in airport Simferopol and seeing the armed people in military uniform we felt at once what was going on in Crimea,”- the ambassadors said and underscored that they came to Crimea exclusively in order to support the Ukrainian citizens and exclude any danger of the conflict’s escalation.

During the meeting the parties exchanged information about the development of the events recently taking place in Crimea and discussed the possible ways and mechanisms of the solution of the situation in Crimea.

“The Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar, regional and local mejlises, activists of the civil society and minister of religion along with the representatives of the authorities do their best to exclude any attempts of provocations in Crimean society that could result in escalation of the situation in Crimea,” – the Chairman of the Mejlis informed.

Mr Chubarov was also sure that all the proposals of the international community in regards to the settlement of current situation. According to Mr Chubarov, we have to hold talks about the broadening of the powers of the autonomy, at this the Chairman of the Mejlis drew the EU ambassadors’ attention to the problems of the Crimean Tatar people.

The ambassadors of Latvia and Lithuania agreed with the position of the Chairman of the Mejlis expressed, and supported the proposal to form the special deputy commissions of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and Supreme Council of ACR whose interaction could let us balance the interest in this situation.

According to Mr Chubarov, Latvia and Lithuania, as well as the EU in the whole condemn severely the intrusion of Russian troops in Ukraine and Crimea in particular.

“Our official visit to Crimea confirms the position of the European countries that we stand by the unity of Ukraine and its territorial integrity,”- Ms Argita Daudze and Mr Petras Vaitiekūnas said.

The ambassadors of Latvia and Lithuania to Ukraine called the Crimean population to stay calm and did not fall for provocations. “We are sure that Russia must recognize the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine as an independent state, as well as to return its troops to their military bases,”- the ambassadors of Latvia and Lithuania underscored