Declaration of the 2nd Forum of Friends of Crimea

24. 04. 2018

We, the participants and guests of the 2nd Forum of Friends of Crimea, members of the International Association of Friends of Crimea, reassembled in the historic Livadia Palace, where the main outlines of the postwar world order were identified, observe the following.

1.      The modern world faces a systemic global challenge and a military threat. The technology of armed intervention, illegal unilateral sanctions, disinformation of civil society present a threat to national interests and security of many countries and peoples. This threat has a tendency to increase. Unprecedented lies and deliberate slander at the very highest level have turned into today's most important instrument for shaping the crisis in international relations, into political and ideological weapons. Only in recent years, lies and deceit were repeatedly used as "evidence" on the basis of which the Western block made decisions about "punishing" Russia with political, diplomatic or economic measures.

2.      An important part in the maintenance of peace and harmony among nations is played by public diplomacy, goodwill ambassadors of the 21st century, friendship associations and societies, including the International Association of Friends of Crimea. It is the public that is called upon to correct mistakes and blunders, to fill the damage inflicted on the political and media level, to promote the restoration of mutual understanding between countries and peoples for the solution of the main task - the preservation of the peaceful world.

We, the participants of the Forum of Friends of Crimea, see our mission in demonstrating to the global community the will of sociopolitical and business circles of various countries of the world in ensuring an international legal order that would guarantee a safe future for all people. A world order based on respect for human rights and freedoms, objective informing of the civil society about the situation in Crimea, free expression of the will of the Crimeans in the course of the referendum on reunification with Russia. Therefore, we urge all the healthy forces of the world community to join our allies.

3. In the current difficult situation of strengthening the sanctions pressure at the international level on Russia and Crimea along with the infringement of human rights of the Crimeans, the geographical expansion of the activities of our International Association of Friends of Crimea is acquiring particular relevance and social significance. We welcome the clubs of Friends of Crimea established last year in Germany, Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, Tunisia, Abkhazia, South Ossetia and in many other countries of the world. We expect that the forward movement in this direction will continue in the future.

4. We think it expedient that the national clubs of Friends of Crimea in their future activities be guided by the positions fixed in the decisions of final resolutions and we expect that participants of the Forum of Friends of Crimea, upon returning home, will turn to parliaments and public organizations, civil society of their countries in order to convey the truth about Crimea and circulate the documents adopted at the forum.

5. Taking into account the importance of expanding the activities of the national clubs of Friends of Crimea, the establishment of direct contacts between representatives of civil society institutions, foreign public and political, business and expert circles, informal dialogues, meetings, development of solutions and initiatives aimed at achieving the abovementioned goals are becoming increasingly important. We can implement this within the framework of the establishment of the Coordination Council of the International Association of Friends of Crimea from among the leaders of clubs of Friends of Crimea and, possibly, other civil society structures aimed at reviving friendship and cooperation with Russia, who recognize its territorial integrity, taking into account the reunification with Crimea.  Activities of the Coordination Council will be aimed exclusively at the “time check" on key issues of cooperation of national clubs and associations with Crimea.

6. We also consider it important to address the UN General Assembly at the end of the Forum of Friends of Crimea to adopt a special resolution on strengthening regional and international cooperation for peace, security and sustainable social and economic development in the world, the abolition of unilateral sanctions, the resumption of constructive dialogue, the development of coordinated approaches to the solution of existing problems in  conflict regions of the world