Ivan Soltanovsky, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe, denied Kyiv’s statement on the situation with national minorities in the occupied Crimea, saying that there are no facts of ethnic tension on the peninsula. This was reported by the Russian media agency TASS.
“Over the past six years, Russia has actively contributed to strengthening the socio-economic, cultural, religious rights of ethnic minorities living in Crimea. There are no facts of ethnic tension in the daily life of Crimea”,- he said.
In addition, Soltanovsky claims that the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights are fully applied on the peninsula, and Crimea “is fully open to international observers, including the advisory committee of the Convention.”
“Expressing in words its concern about the fate of the Crimean Tatars, Kyiv is actually trying to strangle Crimea by means of a water blockade of the peninsula”,- the Russian politician added.