Today, Deputy Minister Benedetto Della Vedova has taken part in the Crimean Platform Summit in Kiev. This event has been promoted by Ukraine to keep the international community’s attention on the illegal annexation of Crimea, which took place in 2014. Those attending the Summit include the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, the Deputy President of the European Commission, Valdis Dombrovskis, the American Secretary of State for Energy, Jennifer Granholm, and Heads of State and Government, as well as Ministries from 45 Countries.
“More than 7 years after the illegal annexation of Crimea, we are still concerned about respecting human rights and the possible adverse impacts on the regional situation” said the Deputy Minister. “We are aware of the suffering that the Tartar population of Crimea face and wish to stress the importance of fully respecting and protecting the basic human rights and liberty of all minorities”.
Deputy Minister Della Vedova has gone on to reiterate Italy’s support of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, its sovereignty, and its independence, as well as our unequivocal condemnation of the illegal annexation of Crimea. He also stressed Italy’s determination to maintain the non-recognition policy agreed at an EU level, with the aim of achieving a peaceful end to the occupation.
The Deputy Minister has reiterated these concepts in the bilateral meetings held with the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Viktor Bodnar, and the Home Affairs Minister, Denys Monastyrskiy. With them, he has also referred to the excellent bilateral ties between Italy and Ukraine, as well as the opportunities for further increasing the already fruitful economic and trade relations.
