The Head of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, the head of the Department of Legal Affairs and Foreign Affairs of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, Eskender Bariiev, said in an interview with Ukrainian Radio that many Ukrainian citizens do not understand the difference between indigenous peoples and national minorities. According to him, the definition of this term can be clearly distinguished in the draft law On Indigenous Peoples of May 18.
Bariev stressed that the draft law On Indigenous Peoples is a very important process, because the Crimean Tatar people have been waiting for this decision for 30 years.
“Unfortunately, many politicians, experts, citizens of our country do not quite understand the difference between indigenous peoples, national minorities and a state-forming nation or a titular one. This draft law is not bad, it takes into account many articles of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and it is very important that it already reveals the definition of the term indigenous peoples”,- he said.