The Verkhovna Rada legalized the Majlis and declared the Crimean Tatars an “indigenous people” (PHOTO)
Kyiv, March 20 (Navigator, Mikhail Ryabov) – The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, following the Parliament of Crimea and the Russian authorities, made a nod towards the Crimean Tatar Majlis, adopting a statement today legalizing the Majlis and Kurultai.
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In a document authored by Petro Poroshenko, the Crimean Tatars are called “indigenous people.”
“The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine instructs the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine to urgently submit draft laws of Ukraine, regulatory legal acts of Ukraine that define and consolidate the status of the Crimean Tatar people as the indigenous people of Ukraine,” the statement says.
“Ukraine recognizes the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, the executive body of the Kurultai of the Crimean Tatar people, as the authorized body of the Crimean Tatar people,” the document also notes.
In addition, the parliament “instructs the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine to begin the process of Ukraine’s accession to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.”
“Ukraine does not leave this temporarily occupied territory. We will solve all the problems of this indigenous people,” Deputy Irina Gerashchenko from UDAR explained the need to adopt today’s resolution.
“This is an act of repentance,” said deputy Oles Doniy.
“The problems of the Crimean Tatar people are absolutely identical to the people of Ukraine,” noted Svoboda member Bogdan Benyuk.
Regionalist Anna German emphasized that her faction also supported the document and expressed regret that this happened during the occupation of Crimea, and not before.
Photo – Bogdan Bortakov

In the context of the confrontation over Crimea, the Mejlis receives bonuses from Russia and Ukraine. In the photo - Mustafa Dzhemilev today on the sidelines of the Verkhovna Rada
The Verkhovna Rada legalized the Mejlis and declared Crimean Tatars an "indigenous people" (PHOTO)