EU Commissioner Mr S.Fule Convinced that Commemoration of 70 years of Deportation of Crimean Tatar People in 2014 Will Be an Opportunity not Only to Look Back, but Also to Look Forward and Take Steps for Integration of Crimean Tatars in a Stronger In

19 September 2013

“During my tenure as European Union Commissioner, I have paid special attention to the economic and political situation in Crimea. During my yearly visits to Crimea I have used every occasion to meet with representatives of the Crimean Tatars. I have also worked to build constructive partnerships with all stakeholders, including the Ukrainian authorities, Civil society and international partners such as the OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities, the Council of Europe and the UN family organisations such as UNDP and UNCHR,”- Mr Fule said.

“Crimea is a region of pivotal importance for the European Union’s engagement in its Eastern Neighbourhood. At the same time, we see that Crimea’s great economic potential is still largely unrealized,”- the EU Commissioner underscored.

Mr Fule believes that new opportunities could be created through an increase of foreign direct investment in sectors such as tourism, trade, or infrastructure. Above all we need to invest in the human capital: education, the fight against poverty, prevention of diseases such as HIV/AIDS and TB, and the fight against marginalization and crime.

“Through the Joint Cooperation Initiative in Crimea, and also through the activities of UNDP, the European Union and its member states seek to contribute to making Crimea an economic success story and address the potential roots of conflict, including confrontation derived from ethnic strife,”- the EU Commissioner Mr S.Fule noted.

During the meeting the EU Commissioner also underscored that the European Union was born from the willingness to overcome the grievances of the past and can actively contribute to finding ways to address such matters as the consequences of mass deportation. “Since the nineteen eighties, 266,000 Crimean Tatars and thousands of other Formerly Deported Peoples have returned to their historic homeland, reaffirming their will to reverse an historical injustice that we all condemn in the most unequivocal terms,”- Mr Fule said. At this, addressing the Ukrainian and republican authorities he noted that during the past twenty years, the Ukrainian Authorities, including the Council of Ministers of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, have shown political willingness to address and solve the legal and economic challenges that derive from this process. “I want to explicitly commend this commitment by Ukraine, and encourage further steps to address remaining issues,”- the EU Commissioner noted.

The EU Commissioner was sure that to overcome this difficult past, dialogue between all stakeholders and interested parties is crucial. “This is why I proposed that we meet today to have a frank and open discussion, to set aside possible differences and to find ways to produce solutions that are in the advantages of all sides,”- Mr Fule said at the meeting with the Foreign Minister of Ukraine, current Chairman of the OSCE, Mr Leonid Kozhara, Administartion of the Council of Ministers of ARC, Representatives of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People.