Results of the Third Parliamentary Summit of the Crimean Platform

On October 24, 2024, the Third Parliamentary Summit of the Crimea Platform was held in Riga, the capital of Latvia, gathering over 70 delegations, including 36 heads of parliaments, both in-person and online.

This year's summit was marked by a significant expansion in the number of participants compared to previous years. In 2023, the Second Parliamentary Summit in Prague gathered 66 representatives from 51 countries, while the First Parliamentary Summit in Zagreb hosted 55 delegates from 44 countries, highlighting the growing importance of the Crimea Platform on the international stage.

The summit welcomed participants from a wide range of countries, regions, and international organizations. Among the attendees were representatives of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, delegations from Latvia, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Germany, Poland, Estonia, France, Portugal, Canada, Lithuania, Austria, Finland, New Zealand, Cyprus, North Macedonia, Australia, Albania, Malta, Switzerland, Spain, Liechtenstein, Bulgaria, Tonga, Serbia, Israel, Norway, the United Kingdom, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Montenegro, Belgium, Sweden, Türkiye, Slovakia, Romania, Italy, Slovenia, Ghana, Argentina, the Netherlands, Ireland, Luxembourg, Costa Rica, Moldova, Armenia, Iceland, Liberia, Chile, Malaysia, Guatemala, the Comoros, the United States, Hungary, Georgia, and others.

Representatives of international organizations also participated, including NATO Parliamentary Assembly, the Council of Europe, the European Union, ASEAN, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and the OSCE.

The summit participants discussed current challenges related to the occupation of Crimea, human rights violations in the occupied territories, and the international response to Russia's actions. Key topics included the condemnation of Russian aggression, calls for recognizing the 1944 deportation of the Crimean Tatar people as an act of genocide, and the coordination of further actions with the international community to restore Ukraine's territorial integrity.

The opening ceremony of the Third Parliamentary Summit of the Crimea Platform was attended by Speaker of the Saeima of Latvia, Daiga Mieriņa, Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk, President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Prime Minister of Latvia, Evika Siliņa, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Baiba Braže, and First Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, Nariman Dzhelyal.

In his video address to the summit, President Zelenskyy emphasized that Russia's aggression began with the occupation of Crimea, which marked an attack on the international legal system. He reaffirmed Ukraine's commitment to a just and lasting peace, a central component of the Ukrainian Peace Formula, presented at the G20 Summit. Zelenskyy stressed that a just conclusion to the war would guarantee security for every nation and noted that an important step toward peace is the implementation of the Victory Plan.

“Nowhere in the world should words like occupation, captivity, deportation have power. We must achieve true peace,” President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated.

During the plenary session of the Third Parliamentary Summit of the Crimea Platform, representatives from various countries expressed firm support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression and the occupation of Crimea. Speakers from the parliaments of the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Estonia, Albania, France, Portugal, Canada, Lithuania, and others emphasized the need for international solidarity in supporting Ukraine. They pointed to Russia's violations of international law and human rights, underscored the importance of Crimea's de-occupation, and called for the continuation and strengthening of sanctions against the aggressor.

In her address during the plenary session, Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Tamila Tasheva, noted that over 218 Crimeans, including 132 Crimean Tatars, remain illegally imprisoned. “We must continue fighting for these people,” Tasheva emphasized. She also highlighted that Russia’s war against Ukraine is not only a battle for Ukrainian statehood but also for the future of a peaceful and stable life across Europe. Therefore, the Peace Formula and the Victory Plan, presented by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are clear steps toward restoring justice and peace.

The overall tone of the summit underscored that Russia’s aggressive actions pose a threat not only to Ukraine but also to global security and international law. Participants called for decisive action from the international community, including military, economic, and political support for Ukraine, to ensure its victory and the restoration of its territorial integrity.

After the plenary session, the participants signed a Joint Declaration of the Third Parliamentary Summit of the Crimea Platform, which strongly condemned the Russian Federation's aggressive actions against Ukraine. The participants reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, stressing the necessity of de-occupying all seized territories, including Crimea. The declaration emphasized the non-recognition of illegal "referenda" and "elections," condemned human rights violations, political persecution, and deportations, and called for the intensification of international sanctions.

The participants pledged to continue supporting Ukraine at the parliamentary level, promoting the implementation of the Peace Formula, and ensuring Russia's accountability for war crimes. They stressed the importance of freeing all political prisoners, including representatives of the Crimean Tatar people, and enhancing international cooperation to counter Russia's hybrid threats and propaganda. The attendees also vowed to use all available means to achieve these goals as swiftly as possible.

At a joint press conference following the conclusion of the Third Parliamentary Summit of the Crimea Platform, Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk, and Speaker of the Saeima, Daiga Mieriņa, discussed further consolidation of international efforts to counter Russian aggression and the importance of documenting the crimes committed by the occupiers.

Stefanchuk highlighted the significance of the summits, which grow larger each year, attracting more representatives from different countries. He drew special attention to the participation of Crimean Tatar representatives and called on European parliaments to recognize the 1944 deportation as genocide.

The Speaker of the Latvia`s Saeima emphasized that Crimea remains a central issue, and justice can only be achieved through the full liberation of all occupied territories. She noted that Russian aggression has consequences beyond Ukraine, and the international community must continue to support Ukraine until full victory is achieved. Both leaders reaffirmed their shared position on the necessity of liberating all occupied territories, including Crimea.

The Third Parliamentary Summit of the Crimea Platform served as a platform for several important events, both within the official program and during additional side events. These highlighted both historical and contemporary challenges related to the occupation of Crimea and the fight for the rights of Ukraine's Indigenous peoples. At the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia, a discussion titled "The Deportation of the Crimean Tatar People in 1944: From Recognition of Genocide to Restoration of Rights Within the Ukrainian State" took place. The event was organized by the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, with the support of the Embassy of Ukraine in Latvia. It focused on the history and tragedy of the deportation, the process of recognizing this crime as genocide, and the restoration of the Crimean Tatar people's rights. A screening of the documentary film The Real Story of Crimea was held at the House of the Blackheads in Riga, debunking Russian historical myths. Following the screening, participants discussed the historical aspects and contemporary challenges faced by the Crimean Tatar people.

An expert discussion was held during the Third Parliamentary Summit of the Crimea Platform. The event included two panel discussions and a high-level conference dedicated to the Peace Formula. The Speaker of the Saeima, Daiga Mieriņa stressed the threats to democratic values posed by Russian aggression, while Ruslan Stefanchuk emphasized the importance of a comprehensive approach to the summit.

The first panel focused on justice for the victims of international crimes. Panelists included Tamila Tasheva, Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea; Daryna Pidhorna, lawyer of the Regional Center for Human Rights; Nariman Dzhelyal, First Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People; Kristine Līce, Adviser to the President of Latvia; and Nadiia Volkova, Director of the Ukrainian Legal Advisory Group. The panel was moderated by Sintija Broka of the Latvian Institute of International Affairs. Discussions addressed human rights violations in Crimea, demographic changes due to forced resettlement, and the mechanism for creating an international tribunal.

The second panel focused on national resilience strategies and experience-sharing between Ukraine and other countries. Participants included Viktor Kevliuk, an expert at the Center for Defense Strategies; Oleksandr Kharchenko, Director of the Energy Research Center; and Jānis Kažociņš, Honorary Fellow of the Center for Geopolitical Studies. The panel was moderated by Alina Frolova, Security Coordinator of the Crimea Platform Expert Network. Topics included the blockade of Ukrainian ports, the use of drones in maritime operations, preparedness for blackouts, and potential nuclear threats.

The high-level conference was dedicated to the Peace Formula, focusing on the implementation of the UN Charter and the restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity as key elements for achieving comprehensive and lasting peace.

One of the important aspects of this year’s summit was its cultural component. Three exhibitions were presented, shedding light on different aspects of Crimea’s history, life, culture, and resistance. The exhibition QIRIM İÇÜN / FOR CRIMEA highlighted the tragedy of the 1944 deportation and contemporary resistance to Russian occupation through the works of Rustem Eminov, Anton Logov, and Alevtyna Kakhidze. The photo project Faces of Deportation by artist Zarema Yalyboilu focused on Crimean Tatars who survived the deportation. The exhibition Crimea Through the Eyes of Citizen Journalists from the ZMINA Human Rights Center and the photo project Qarşılıq /Resistance at the Museum of the Occupation in Latvia demonstrate the persecution of Crimean journalists and portraits of military personnel representing the Indigenous peoples of Ukraine.

We sincerely thank all the participants and organizers of the Third Parliamentary Summit of the Crimea Platform. Your dedication and active participation brought together representatives of different countries to discuss important issues of de-occupation of Crimea, protection of the rights of the Crimean Tatar people and restoration of justice. We thank the Embassy of Ukraine in Latvia, the Crimea Platform Expert Network, the Saeima of Latvia and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for organizing this important Summit. We are united by a common task of liberating Crimea, restoring justice and the international legal order.