President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy submitted a draft law "On the indigenous peoples of Ukraine" (№ 5506) to the Verkhovna Rada as urgent.
This document defines the rights of the indigenous peoples of Ukraine and the peculiarities of their implementation in order to promote the consolidation and development of the Ukrainian nation, as well as the development of ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious identity of such peoples.
In his address on the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Crimean Tatar Genocide, Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that the Strategy for Deoccupation and Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol approved by him in March this year identifies as a priority the restoration and protection of the rights of Crimean Tatars as an indigenous people.
"And today I am submitting an urgent bill on the indigenous peoples to the parliament. I am confident that in a short time the deputies will consider and consolidate the status of the indigenous peoples of Ukraine, including Crimean Tatars, and finally do what 8 convocations of the Verkhovna Rada and all previous presidents have been postponing for 30 years," said the President.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also expressed confidence that Crimea would definitely return to Ukraine.