Group of Italian MPs arrive in occupied Crimea
RIA Novosti reported that a group of Italian MPs arrived in the occupied Crimea for a three-day visit. During the visit, the members of the delegation will visit Sevastopol, Yalta and Simferopol. The delegation includes senators Bartolomeo Pepe, Paola De Pin and Ivan Simeoni, a member of the Chamber of Deputies, Nicola Ciriacci and also the Regional Council of Tuscany member, Gabrielle Sani.
An MP of the Italian Parliament, Nicola Ciriacci, expressed the view that the rights of the Crimean Tatars are subjects of oppression. Ciriacci noted that he agrees with this position, which is widely represented in Western media and common among politicians.
In response, the Crimean occupation authorities invited the Italians to meet with representatives of the Crimean Tatars. It should be noted that the Italian MPs stated that they don’t care about Ukraine’s position on their visit to Crimea.
As previously reported, the MEPs Markus Pretzel (Germany) and Jaromír Kohliček (the Czech Republic) and also the MPs of the Austrian Parliament arrived in the annexed Crimea in order to take part in the Second Economic Forum in Yalta. In this context, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on all foreign citizens to strictly adhere to Ukrainian legislation regarding entry and exit procedures to/from the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine.
“Ukraine will respond to any violation of the established procedures. The restrictions, defined by Ukrainian legislation will be applied to all offenders, in particular, by means of prohibiting their entry into Ukraine,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.