Crimean Platform Summit to welcome representatives from over 50 countries

The 3rd Parliamentary Summit of the Crimean Platform will take place on October 24 in Latvia's capital. Delegations from around 50 countries and six international parliamentary assemblies will attend.

The press service of the Latvian Saeima reports that.

The Latvian Saeima organizes the summit in close cooperation with the Verkhovna Rada. Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Armenia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Ghana, Greece, Croatia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Estonia, Iceland, Italy, Ireland, Israel, Canada, Cyprus, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Malta, Montenegro, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Finland, Switzerland, Tonga, Turkey, Germany, North Macedonia and Sweden have already confirmed the arrival of their parliamentary delegations. It is noted that most parliaments will be represented at the summit at the level of speakers.

It is planned that delegations of international organizations will take part in the event:

• European Parliament,
• Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe,
• Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe,
• NATO Parliamentary Assembly
• Inter-Parliamentary Union,
• representatives of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The summit will be opened by Speaker of the Saeima Daiga Mieriņa and Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk. The head of the Ukrainian state, Volodymyr Zelensky, will address the participants remotely.

The Prime Minister of Latvia, Evika Siliņa, the head of the Foreign Ministry, Baiba Braže, and the first deputy chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, Nariman Dzhelyal, will also make opening remarks.

Several other events in support of Ukraine are planned as part of the summit, in particular:

• expert discussions on the recognition of the genocide of the Crimean Tatar people and the restoration of their rights,
• as well as on Russia's responsibility for the war and its impact on European security.

Among other things, the documentary "The True History of Crimea" is scheduled to be shown.

Holding the parliamentary summit of the international Crimea platform in Riga is part of Latvia's comprehensive support to Ukraine and an investment in strengthening the rules-based global order.

For reference:

The International Crimean Platform was established in 2021 to facilitate coordination and consultations between states, governments, parliaments, foreign ministers, and experts. Its purpose is to raise awareness among world leaders and the general public about Russia's temporary occupation and annexation of the Crimean Peninsula and its detrimental effects on human rights, security in the Black Sea region, global food security, and the rules-based global order.

The summit discussed legal, economic, political, and humanitarian ways of returning Crimea to Ukrainian control.

Two previous parliamentary summits of the Crimean Platform were held in:

• Zagreb (Croatia),
• Prague (Czech Republic).

Parliamentarians from various countries of the world and international parliamentary organizations attended them.