Delegation of Crimean Tatar Mejlis Met with Representatives of German NGOs in Heinrich Böll Foundation

30 June 2011

In the framework of the program of delegation of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people’s visit to Germany the Chairman of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Mustafa Jemilev and members of the delegation met the representatives of German NGOs. Moderators of the meeting were Walter Kaufman the director of Heinrich Böll Foundation and Miste Hottop-Rike – the representative of Integration Research Institute ZWEIHEIMISCH.

At the meeting the German NGOs were represented by Ulf Engert – Head of the program “Belorussia/Ukraine” in “Society for ecological projects, agriculture and land development in Eastern Europe “APOLLO” Julia Erner – post graduate student of the department of social research of Humboldt University, Olexandra Binert – coordinator of the project “Kyivian Dialogues/European Exchange”, Ildar Kharisov, Society for promotion to the Eastern Europe, Robert Werner – Vice-Chairman of the Initiatives “Middle and Eastern Europe”, Detlef Stein – Head of the publishing house “Osteuropa-Zentrum Berlin”, Robert Böbke – coordinator of the projects of the society “Trialogue”, Irina Serduk – Head of the project “Ukrainale” – festival of Ukrainian culture in Germany.

In the course of presentation of their organizations the participants of the meeting – representatives of NGOs told about the projects they are implementing in Ukraine and Crimea. In their presentations they in particular emphasized their interest in Crimea and desire that the representatives of Crimean Tatar public organizations directly took part in the projects that are implementing on a modern stage in Ukraine.

Mustafa Jemilev made a brief excursus to the historic past of Crimea and the Crimean Tatar people and told in details about the modern problems related to the return, resettlement and restoration of the rights of the Crimean Tatar people.

Describing the modern combat of Crimean Tatars for their national rights Mustafa Jemilev drew attention of the participants of the meeting to the basic principles of Crimean Tatar national movement based on the democratic values and non-violence that let Crimean Tatars stand in the combat against the totalitarian regime of the USSR, actively interrelate with the international human rights advocacy and democratic institutes, achieve the return to their Homeland and now continue fighting for restoration of the people’s rights on their land.

After that the representatives of German NGOs had possibility to ask a wide range of questions to the Chairman of Mejlis Mustafa Jemilev and members of the delegation related to the situation of the Crimean Tatar people in Ukraine, the prospects of its economical and spiritual revival, the peculiarities of their interrelation with the state authorities of Ukraine and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

During the dialogue with the representatives of German NGOs the members of the delegation Refat Chubarov, Ali Khamzin and Svetlana Chervonaya told in details about the latest initiatives of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people directed at involvement of the international community in providing assistance to the Crimean Tatar people in overcoming of the criminal deportation of 1944 and the decades of exile and paid a special attention to preparation and carrying out of the International Forum on the restoration of the rights of the Crimean Tatar people to their homeland, its security and guarantees of development in Ukraine.

Answering the questions the Chairman of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Mustafa Jemilev stressed that carrying out of the International Forum is aimed at promotion not only to restoration of the rights of the Crimean Tatar people, but also Ukraine itself both in fair solution of Crimean Tatar problem and overcoming of the consequences of the crimes that it inherited from the totalitarian regime of the USSR, and in obtaining the additional international guaranties excluding possibility of taking actions against it similar to the ones that were taken against the independent Georgia in August 2008.

Moreover, Mustafa Jemilev continued, support of the Ukrainian State of the idea of carrying out of the International Forum and involvement of the International community in solution of Crimean Tatar problem would undoubtedly testify to Ukraine’s aspiration to meet the generally accepted standards of Human Rights and the rights of peoples that is the obligatory condition to integration to the European community.

Members of the delegation of Mejlis expressed to the representatives of German NGOs their gratitude for implementation of various projects in Ukraine and Crimea aimed at promoting the development of the civil society, greeted their desire to involve actively in their projects the Crimean Tatar public organizations many of which cooperate with partners representing Ukrainian and international section of NGO. At this Refat Chubarov proposed the representatives of German NGOs and leaders of Heinrich Böll Foundation to held a seminar in Crimea involving Crimean public organizations.

In conclusion of the meeting the Director of Heinrich Böll Foundation Walter Kaufman noted the importance of the idea of conducting of the International Forum that could promote restoration of the rights of the Crimean Tatar people with assistance of the international institutes and expressed his gratitude to the Chairman of Mejlis Mustafa Jemilev and the members of the delegation for accepting their invitation to visit the Foundation.