Kremlin complains German representatives refused to attend the conference in Russia because of participants from Crimea
German representatives refused to participate in the fifth meeting of the heads of Russian and German educational and research organizations that should have taken place in Kazan on February 4 to 6, reported the Russian Foreign Ministry.
The Ministry noted that the German representatives objected to the participation of the Crimean Federal University’s Principal, Andrei Falaleev at the conference.
“Just a week before the forum, German Foreign Ministry and the conference of principals of German higher educational institutions gave an ultimatum to the Russian co-organizers, the Russian Association of the Leading Universities, to prevent his [Falaleev’s] presence at the meeting, citing the fact that Berlin does not recognize Russia’s ownership of the Crimea and Sevastopol,” the Russian Foreign Ministry stated.
In early 2015, the Russian government of the Crimea liquidated V.I. Vernadsky Taurida National University or TNU. In the same year, the combined Federal University was created that absorbed several universities, including the TNU, Medical Academy named after S.I. Georgievsky and several other scientific organizations. The Crimean Federal University consists of 13 educational and scientific organizations.
International organizations recognized Russia’s annexation of the Crimea as illegal and condemned Russia’s actions. Western countries imposed economic sanctions against Russia.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has declared February 20, 2014, to be the starting date of “Russia’s temporary occupation of the Crimea and Sevastopol.”