Valery Patskan: Biggest Achievement will Become if Our Joint Efforts Could Ease Tension towards National Minorities in Crimea

11 April 2013

The members of the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Human Rights, National Minorities and Interethnic Relations adopted the decision on the results of the field meeting, held on April 11, 2013 in the VR ARC to prepare the Addresses to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine concerning the full and timely financing of the Program of the resettlement and settling of the deported Crimean Tatars and persons belonging to other nationalities that returned to the permanent residence to Ukraine, their adaptation and integration to the Ukrainian society for the period up to 2015, the Address on the prolongation of the “Agreement on the issues relating to the restoration of the rights of the deported persons, national minorities and peoples” of October 9, 1992, the Draft Law of Ukraine “On the restoration of the rights of persons, deported on the national grounds”, adopted in the first reading by the VRU in 2012 will be also developed and prepared to the consideration in the second reading.

In conclusion of their field meeting in Crimea the members of the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Human Rights, National Minorities and Interethnic Relation adopted unanimously these drafts decisions.

The Committee on Human Rights and Interethnic Relation will certainly promote the prolongation of the Bishkek Agreement,”- the Head of the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Human Rights, National Minorities and Interethnic Relations V. Patskan assured. He also underscored that the biggest achievement will be if the joint efforts of the republican and central authorities could ease the tension in Crimea in issues, relating to the situation with the national minorities.

The Head of the Parliamentary Committee also drew the attention to the absence of the Crimean leaders at the field meeting despite the fact that they were informed in advance and invited to the meeting.

“This is not a position – this is a disposition. I give you my word that is they (the leaders of the autonomy) will come to Kyiv, the members of our Committee would certainly find time to meet them and take part in this important state meeting. On behalf of my colleagues I would like to underscore that we are open to the dialogue, we are open to the cooperation and we are concerned with the enmity that exists now in Crimea,”- Valery Patskan commented.

Valery Patskan was sure that the solution of the problems of the repatriates requires the efforts of all parties, including the executive authorities.