On 24 October, Latvia will host the 3rd Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform. The Summit is organised in close coordination with the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. The two previous summits took place in Zagreb and Prague in 2022 and 2023, respectively.  

Hosting of the 3rd Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform in Riga is one of the many forms of Latvia’s support to Ukraine. In addition to practical assistance for Ukraine, it is critically important to maintain a strong understanding and support of the international community for the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, which includes the Crimean Peninsula, to shed light on Russia’s ongoing crimes in Ukraine, including against its civilian population, and to discuss the most effective way to hold Russia accountable. Hosting the Summit in Latvia also contributes to strengthening the international rules-based order. Russia’s aggression and ongoing crimes and human rights violations disrupt the rule of law globally. Russia’s heinous crimes against Ukraine and its civilian population inevitably resonate across the world. It is the duty of the international community to prevent violations of international law and to ensure full accountability. As a candidate for the UN Security Council (2026-2027), Latvia pledges to strengthen these efforts and work toward a more resilient and just rules-based international order.

The International Crimea Platform is an international consultation and coordination format initiated in 2021 by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Platform aims to increase the effectiveness of the international response to the ongoing occupation of Crimea and other parts of the territory of Ukraine, respond to growing security threats, increase international pressure on Russia, prevent further human rights violations and protect the victims of the occupation regime, and achieve the main goal—de-occupation of Crimea and other parts of the territory of Ukraine.

The International Crimea Platform functions on the level of heads of state and government, speakers of parliaments, and civil society experts, focusing on five priority areas: the policy of non-recognition; sanctions; human rights; security and freedom of navigation; and the economic and environmental consequences of Russia’s temporary occupation of the Crimean Peninsula. Temporary occupation of the territory of Ukraine started in Crimea in 2014 and it must end with full restoration of the territorial integrity of Ukraine, including the Crimean Peninsula. 

Welcome to Riga! Laipni lūgti Rīgā!