Head of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, Head of the Department of Legal and Foreign Affairs of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, Eskender Bariiev, in an interview with Radio NV, commented on the draft law on indigenous peoples, which Volodymyr Zelenskyy submitted to the parliament of Ukraine. He stressed that this is an important step for the Crimean Tatar people to continue their struggle for Ukraine.
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“The bill itself, in my opinion, is not bad. It incorporates many points of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, incorporates those projects that were submitted by the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, and a number of public organizations, in particular, the Crimean Tatar Resource Center”,- he noted.
Bariiev stressed that the registration of the bill is an important process, an important step. After all, the Crimean Tatars have been striving for many years to be recognized as an indigenous people in Ukraine, which happened in 2014.
“But unfortunately, this issue has not yet been settled precisely in the legislative plan. I believe that it is very important for Ukraine, which is at war, to resolve this issue. This is important both in terms of image and in order to send a message for the Crimean Tatars that their future and the realization of their collective rights can only be in an independent legal, democratic and European state called Ukraine. This will be an important message for the people to fight for Ukraine”,- the expert added.