Thank you Ambassador Kyslytsya for hosting this event, and all the presenters for giving thorough and honest overviews on the situation in Crimea, which Estonia continues to follow with great concern.
Estonia will never recognize the illegal annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation and continues to condemn this violation of international law.
We strongly deplore Russia’s continuous steps towards the complete militarization of Crimea including of its industry and transportation. It is worrisome to know, that Russia has invested a huge amount of money into large-scale military-drills in the Black Sea and a consistently growing arsenal of weaponry including anti-aircraft missile-systems are all provocations directly against the serenity of the global community – this cannot be tolerated.
Russian Federation should stop changing the demographic structure of the population by transferring its own civilian population to the peninsula. In violation of international humanitarian law, Russian citizenship and conscription in the armed forces of the Russian Federation have been imposed on Crimean residents. We condemn the construction of the Kerch Bridge without Ukraine’s consent and the opening of a railway section. These are yet further steps towards a forced integration of the illegally-annexed peninsula with Russia, and a further violation of Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. We call on Russia to ensure unhindered and free passage of all ships through the Kerch Strait to and from the Azov Sea, in accordance with international law.
We also note with great concern, the deteriorating situation of human rights in Crimea, in particular the ongoing politically motivated prosecutions against Crimean Tatars and pro-Ukrainian activists. Abductions, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, killings, torture and ill-treatment all constitute grave human rights violations that must be thoroughly investigated and perpetrators must be made accountable. It is crucial that the regional and international human rights monitoring mechanisms as well as the non-governmental human rights organizations have unimpeded access to Crimea and Sevastopol.
Last but not least, I would like to assure that Estonia remains committed to fully implementing its non-recognition policy and supporting the full continuation of restricted measures against Russia.
Thank you.
