Eskender Bariiev, Head of the Board of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, Head of the Department of Legal and Foreign Affairs of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, said in an interview with the ATR TV channel that there are currently three laws in Ukraine that make it possible to restore historical toponymy in Crimea.
The first is the "Law On the restoration of the rights of persons deported on ethnic grounds". Article 3 clearly states that at the request of representatives of the deported peoples, the state will contribute to the restoration of historical toponymy.
The second is the "Law on Decommunization". There is a decree to change the name of settlements in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, but because of the occupation, this process remains frozen.
The third is the "Law on Indigenous Peoples". Article 4 says that historical names can be restored at the initiative of indigenous peoples.
“We have as many as three laws that allow us to do this. We do not need any more others, as too many laws can provoke legal contradictions. It is important that the law is not just passed, it is important that it works. We need to work on this”,- he explained.
Bariiev believes that the restoration of historical toponymy in Crimea is a step towards the de-occupation of Crimea. In his opinion, the reaction of the Russian Federation to this decision of Ukraine will not be worse than to the adoption of the Law On the Indigenous Peoples of Ukraine.