Visit of Crimean Tatar Mejlis’ Delegation to the Embassy of Ukraine to Germany

29 June 2011

On June 27, 2011 on the first day of their working visit to Germany the delegation of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, headed by the Chairman of Mejlis, MP of Ukraine Mustafa Jemilev visited the Embassy of Ukraine to Germany where they had meeting with the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Ukraine to Germany Natalia Zarudnaya.

In the course of the detailed talk during the meeting attended by the President of the World Congress of Crimean Tatars Refat Chubarov, Head of Foreign relations department of Mejlis Ali Khamzin, professor, researcher of the modern ethno-political processes on the post-Soviet territory Svetlana Chervonnaya and assistant of the Chairman of Mejlis Liliya Muslimova, as well as the First Secretary of the Embassy Dr Vasily Khiminets, members of the German Parliament – representatives of the German-Ukrainian Parliamentary group Helga Daub and Michael Groshek, representatives of the Society for the Promotion to Eastern Europe, member of Coordinating Council of the WCCT, representative of Mejlis in Germany Akhmet Ozay, Chairman of Association of culture and mutual assistance of Crimean Tatars in the Western Europe Rafet Karanlyk, member of City Council of Cologne Erkhat Kara.

The Ambassador of Ukraine to Germany Natalia Zarudnaya greeted the guests and stressed that the visit of the famous human rights advocate, MP of Ukraine and leader of Crimean Tatar Mejlis Mustafa Jemilev with accompanying persons will let Ukrainian diplomats working in Germany have the broader understanding of the whole scope of problems that Crimea and Crimean Tatars face today, that in its turn would be conductive to sucsesful involvement of Germany, one of the leading EU contries, in various projects implemented in Crimea in the framework of cooperation between Ukraine and the EU.

The Chairman of Crimean Tatar Mejlis, MP of Ukraine Mustafa Jemilev described briefly the social and political situation in Crimea and situation with the Crimean Tatar people, drawing attention of the Ambassador of Ukraine to Germany to the nessessity of involvement of the International and European organizations and first of all the EU, ASCE, Council of Europe in providing assistance to Ukraine and the Crimean Tatar people in just solution of the complex of legal, economical and humanitarian questions that prevent effective implementation of the EU projects in Crimea.

Mustafa Jemilev also noted that for more than 20-year-period of return of the Crimean Tatar people to its homeland no legislation was adopted on the restoration the rights of the whole people, that not only worsens the hard enough situation with Crimean Tatars, but increases their disappointment in ability of the Ukrainian politicians to adopt laws aimed at elimination of the consequences of the genocide against the Crimean

Tatar people committed by the communist regime of the USSR.

In this respect Mustafa Jemilev noted that “it is very important for us to carry out in the nearest future 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. The decision on preparation and carrying out of this Forum was adopted by Qurultay of the Crimean Tatar people, our proposals were presented to the Ukrainian authorities and we are waiting for their positive solution, because we are convinced that involvement of the International community in the process of restoration of the rights of the Crimean Tatar people and providing comprehensive assistance in its return and resettlement in its homeland should be understand as a sufficient support to Ukrainian state in elimination of the consequences of the criminal policy of the former USSR against the Crimean Tatar people”.

The Ambassador of Ukraine to Germany Natalia Zarudnaya noted that the Ukrainian State makes much efforts in order to ensure the process of the repatriation of Crimean Tatars and their resettlement in their homeland. “Of caurse that this doesn’t mean that all questions were solved,- Mrs. Ambassador added. A special attention should be given to the solution of the land problems of the returning to their homeland people, satisfying their humanitarian problems, particularly in the issues related to education on their native language, however, one should admit that Ukraine is a single state of all post-Soviet states who promotes the return of peoples, deported on ethnic basis”.

“We always highly appreciate Crimean Tatars for their wise combat for restoration of their rights and the democratic principles used in the national movement’s policy,”- Natalia Zarudnaya noted. She expressed her confidence that wisdom and self-restraint inherent to the Crimean Tatar people, as well as their weighted approach and political experience of recognized Crimean Tatar leaders will let us finding such forms of solution of existing problems that undoubtedly would favor the Crimean Tatar people and Ukraine.

At the same time Mrs. Zarudnaya drew attention of her interlocutors to the fact that the President of Ukraine’s course to establishment of close cooperation with the states – members of the EU on the widest range of issues will let us step by step solve effectively many questions of social and political development of Ukraine, that undoubtedly will be reflected also on the situation with Crimean Tatars.

The Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Ukraine to Germany Natalia Zarudnaya noted the high level of relations between Ukraine and Germany, the general interest of German politicians and business circles to various mutually beneficial projects implemented in Ukraine today and pllaned in the nearest future what was proved by the participance of the members of Bundestag at the present meeting, and wished Mustafa Jemilev and the members of the delegation of Crimean Tatar Mejlis success in their work during their meetings and consultations in Germany.