Commissioned by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy to support international measures to deoccupy Crimea, Permanent Representative of the President to the Autonomous Republic of Crimea Anton Korynevych together with Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania to Ukraine Valdemaras Sarapinas visited Kalanchak and Chaplynka checkpoints on the administrative border with the temporarily occupied Crimea and met with internally displaced persons from the peninsula who now live in the Kherson region.
Anton Korynevych said that the President of Ukraine initiated and made a priority for other authorities the reconstruction of the checkpoints and the establishment of administrative service areas there in order to preserve and maintain ties with the residents of the temporarily occupied Crimea.
"Every visit to the administrative border with the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea is special for us. The checkpoint is not only an important strategic object, where our citizens are allowed to pass, but also a place where you can personally communicate with those who permanently live in Crimea. This is the place where the Crimean people see the Ukrainian flag, and it is at the checkpoint that one can notice changes in the state approach to its own citizens who have become hostages of the occupation,” the Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine to the Autonomous Republic of Crimea said.
According to him, it is important for Ukraine that international partners, such as Lithuania, Great Britain, Canada, see the real picture and consequences of the temporary occupation of Crimea. The Crimean platform will soon become a permanent dialogue platform for the deoccupation of the peninsula.
"These countries were among the first to respond to the attempted annexation, consistently supporting Ukraine in the international arena in the struggle for the deoccupation of Crimea. It is also important for us to inform partners about the current situation in Crimea with respect for human rights and violations of international law, persecution of representatives of the Ukrainian community and the indigenous Crimean Tatar people by the administration of the invaders," Anton Korynevych said.
He noted that foreign diplomats pay great attention to the issue of human rights violations by the Russian Federation and its failure to fulfill its obligations to protect the civilian population on the territory of the temporarily occupied Crimean peninsula. Ukraine's partners express readiness for joint action in the international arena.
At the invitation of Anton Korynevych, Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine Larisa Galadza visited the administrative border with Crimea in late September, and Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Ukraine Melinda Simmons visited it in early November.
The Representative Office of the President of Ukraine to the Autonomous Republic of Crimea invites diplomats from different countries to visit the checkpoints on the administrative border with Crimea and is ready to provide organizational assistance for such visits.