On Thursday, May 20, after Portugal blocked the mention of the anniversary of the 1944 deportation in a statement on Crimea from the EU to the OSCE, the Portuguese Ambassador to Ukraine Antonio Machado was invited to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine to discuss the country’s position on this matter. This was reported by the press service of the Ukrainian department.
“The First Deputy Minister informed the ambassador in detail about the tragic events of 1944, when innocent representatives of the Crimean Tatar People were subjected to forcible deportation organized by the Soviet totalitarian regime and about the temporarily occupied Crimea, where Russians resort to unprecedented violations of human rights”,- the message said.
The ambassador emphasized that Portugal invariably supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. In addition, Antonio Machado noted the importance of spreading the truth about the crimes of the past and the present, as well as honoring the victims.