Summit "Crimean Platform" has started

Baku/23.08.21/Turan: “Crimean Platform” summit has started in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine.  Representatives from more than 45 countries of the world (all EU and NATO countries) has attended the summit: fourteen leaders of states (10 presidents, 4 prime ministers), heads of parliaments and 13 foreign ministers, defense ministers, energy ministers and ambassadors flew to Ukraine; as well as representatives  of  NATO, the European Council, the European Commission and the Council of Europe. The Crimean platform will have to coordinate international efforts to de-occupy Crimea and return it to Ukraine.

The initiative to create the Crimean Platform in 2020 was launched by President Vladimir Zelensky. The Crimean Platform is a coordination mechanism for attracting the attention of the international community to the annexation of Crimea by Russia.

On August 19, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said that all states participating in the event, regardless of their level of participation in the summit, become the founders of the "Crimean Platform".

Azerbaijan does not participate in the work of the Crimean platform, although during a telephone conversation on May 27, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov discussed the Crimean Platform with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmitry Kuleba.

Some representatives of the Ukrainian government believe that the current position of Azerbaijan, which does not participate in the forum, is related to the role of Russia in the South Caucasus.

But how really? Why does Azerbaijan not participate in the summit of the “Crimean Platform”?

Rasim Musabekov, a member of the Milli Mejlis Committee on International Relations and Interparliamentary Relations, told Turan that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan could give an answer to this question. “Someone from the Azerbaijani embassy could take part there. On the other hand, the Secretary General of GUAM Altai Efendiyev is an Azerbaijani diplomat, and he takes part in it. "

The MP noted that Azerbaijan is aware of this issue. "Of the 44 participating states, almost half are the heads of diplomatic missions located in Kiev. Neither prime ministers nor foreign ministers of all 44 countries are represented there."

In his opinion, there is a problem of reciprocity. “When we had problems, and Ukraine did not have problems, did Ukraine provide support to Azerbaijan? No. It is just that when there was a vote, Ukraine voted for our territorial integrity. We do the same. That is, we can support Ukraine to the extent that it supported Azerbaijan with its conflict. Someone privately in Ukraine may express some thoughts about Azerbaijan, but officially, Ukraine's support for Azerbaijan is much less, than the support provided to it by our country."

The head of the “Atlas Research Center” Elkhan Shainoglu believes that not participating in the “Crimean Platform” was the wrong decision. “On the one hand, the head of state, Ilham Aliyev, says that Azerbaijan is pursuing an independent foreign policy. If we are pursuing an independent foreign policy, we must definitely participate in this platform at some level. It turns out that we are afraid of Russia, since our participation in this platform may displease the Kremlin."

He said that Azerbaijan recognizes Crimea as Ukrainian territory. “We must also take into account that Ukraine was one of those states that supported Azerbaijan most of all during the war years. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine also issued a statement in support of Azerbaijan. The support between partners is mutual. Even the ambassador of Azerbaijan to Ukraine does not participate in the event."

The expert noted that Azerbaijan criticizes the policy of Russia. “The head of state is dissatisfied with the activities of the Russian military in Karabakh, the supply of Russian weapons to Armenia. In that case, why don't we take part in the conference? If Russia sees that we are moving away from it, it will itself draw closer to us. Non-participation in the forum is contrary to the principles of an independent foreign policy. "

The political scientist stressed that today is the Flag Day in Ukraine. “Let there be a projection of the Ukrainian flag at the Heydar Aliyev Center today. If not, then this would also be a wrong decision, since on the Flag Day of various states their flags are projected onto the Heydar Aliyev Center. If any technical reasons are given for the impossibility of projecting the flag, then you should know that we are still avoiding Russia. ”- 0—