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Today, it is the duty of every European politician to tirelessly continue reminding the world of the illegal occupation of Crimea, emphasised Daiga Mieriņa, the Speaker of the Saeima, on Monday, 24 November, at the Fourth Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform, which has gathered Members of Parliament from all over the world in Stockholm, Sweden. Speaker Mieriņa noted that each of us is currently bearing witness to the militarisation of the Crimean Peninsula.

“Today, each of us can be a ‘voice’ of Crimea by continuing to expose human rights violations, illegal deportations, the kidnapping of children, forced changes in the demographic structure of Crimea, and repression against Crimean Tatars,” said Speaker Mieriņa. She stressed that the Baltic States know very well how unpredictable and dangerous the aggressor is, and therefore will continue to persistently remind the world that Russia remains a constant threat to all of us.

The Speaker of the Saeima underlined that this is a time when we—especially the leaders of European parliaments—must be able to do more. It is necessary to mobilise national parliaments and governments to support Ukraine and to compel the aggressor to come to the negotiating table.

Speaker Mieriņa added that we will have failed in our duty as a civilised society if the aggressor remains unpunished. All international legal mechanisms must be used to ensure that Russia and its officials are held accountable for crimes committed against the people of Ukraine, especially children. She also reiterated that Crimea belongs in an undivided and free Ukraine—and that Ukraine belongs in a strong and united Europe—calling on international partners to display unwavering support for Ukraine.

The aim of the Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform is to highlight the global impact of Russia’s aggression and to continue drawing international attention to the crimes committed by the aggressor. This year, parliamentarians are also discussing issues related to sanctions, human rights, security, economic and environmental consequences, as well as the return of abducted Ukrainian children to their homes.

The International Crimea Platform was established in 2021 as a coordination and consultation body at the level of States and governments, parliaments, foreign ministers, and experts. The platform was created to enhance global awareness among world leaders and the wider public about the temporary occupation and annexation of the Crimean Peninsula, their negative impact on the human rights of the local population, security in the Black Sea region, global food security, and the rules-based international order. The goal of the Crimea Platform is to bring about the end of the occupation of Crimea and its peaceful return to Ukraine.

Last October, the third Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform was held in Riga. Previously it took place in Zagreb and Prague, gathering MPs from various countries worldwide and from international parliamentary organisations.

During the current summit in Sweden, the Speaker of the Saeima will also meet with Julia Klöckner, the President of the German Bundestag, Ana Brnabić, the President of the National Assembly of Serbia, and Theodoros Rousopoulos, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

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Saeima Press Service