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The International Center for Defense and Security (ICDS, Estonia), in close cooperation with the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Estonia, will hold today an online discussion entitled "How does the occupation of Crimea affect Ukraine's national resilience?"

The live broadcast of the event can be watched on the Facebook pages of the Resilient Ukraine program and Ukrinform, which is a media partner of the event.

The issues to discuss include: "The Crimean platform: what role should Estonia play during the summit?"; "Passportization in Crimea: how does the process of obtaining Russian citizenship by Crimeans threaten Ukraine?"; "Drafting to the occupying army: why does illegal conscription to the Russian Armed Forces give rise to growing disturbance?"; "Impacts on resilience: how do Crimean-origin information operations by Russia threaten southern and eastern Ukraine?"

Participants in the event are Mariana Betsa, Ambassador of Ukraine to Estonia; Ihor Yaremenko, Deputy Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine; Volodymyr Prytula, Head of the Crimean Desk, RFE/RL (Krym.Realii); Ibrahim Suleimanov, Head of Kherson city Majlis, Development Director of the Kuresh Crimean Tatar Cultural Center; Marko Mihkelson, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Estonian Parliament; Gert Antsu, Director of the Estonian Center of Eastern Partnership, former Ambassador of Estonia to Ukraine (2016-2019); Evhen Tsybulenko, Law professor at the Tallinn University of Technology. Dmitri Teperik, Chief Executive of the International Center for Defense and Security (Estonia) and Resilient Ukraine program director, will moderate the discussion.

The Resilient Ukraine program has been implemented by the International Center for Defense and Security (ICDS) since 2016 with the support of the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In addition to Ukrinform, a media partner of the event is RFE/RL's Krym.Realii (Crimea.Realities) project.

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Discussion 'How does the occupation of Crimea affect Ukraine?' LIVE BROADCAST - Ukrinform. Ukraine and world news

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky plans to visit Vilnius this year to participate in the Ukraine Reform Conference.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Ihor Zhovkvasaid this in an interview with Baltic News Service(BNS) Lithuania, according to the website of the head of the Ukrainian state.

We hope that the conference will take place this year. The Ukrainian government and the President's Office are already working on this. The head of state will be glad to come to Lithuania to discuss the progress of Ukrainian reforms and support for Ukraine from European partners, he said.

According to Zhovkva, over the past year and a half, Ukraine has shown significant progress in reforms; in particular, recently President of the European Council Charles Michel noted the efforts of the Ukrainian president in judicial and banking reforms, as well as in the agricultural sector. We look forward to a fair assessment of the process. And we count on support for Ukraine to continue this path of reforms, he stressed.

The deputy head of the President's Office also focused on the process of Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration. He recalled that the Ukrainian state received a NATO Enhanced Opportunities Partner status and raises the issue of providing a NATO Membership Action Plan. We understand that we have to do our homework, including reforms in the security and military sectors of Ukraine. We are working on this, Zhovkva said.

Work is also underway to deepen Ukraine's integration with the European Union. Much depends on Ukraine, but not everything. We will do our "homework", but we really count on the support of Brussels and EU Member States. And here, by the way, the role of Lithuania is very important, because I hope that Lithuania unanimously supports Ukraine's membership in the EU and NATO, Zhovkva noted.

He also said that the Republic of Lithuania is not just a strategic partner of Ukraine, but also a strategic friend and brother, and both countries have great potential for cooperation.

ish

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Zelensky plans to attend Ukraine Reform Conference in Vilnius this year President's Office - Ukrinform. Ukraine and world news

The European Commission is warming to the idea of offering more ambitious integration plan to the three Eastern partners of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, an EU official has said.

Calls for a more ambitious policy in the East with the three countries, all of which have signed association agreements with the EU and harbour ambitions to one day join the bloc, have been long echoed by the European Parliament.

So far, the EU executive has been cautious to endorse the plan for the group, often referred to as the Trio, wary that more perks for the associated countries may irritate the three other Eastern partners Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus.

However, the question of deepening ties with the Trio is on the agenda more than ever right now, especially with the current situation in the partnership, according to Katarna Mathernov, Deputy Director-General of the European Commissions department for neighbourhood and enlargement.

The European Peoples Party (EPP) has presented a proposal to enable faster and deeper sectoral integration with the EU for the three countries within the Eastern Partnership (EaP) Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova that are looking for a more ambitious integration with the bloc.

It appears EU countries are increasingly interested in deepening ties with the three Eastern allies, spurred on by a political crisis in Georgia, continuing anti-government protests in Belarus, the fallout from the Armenian-Azerbaijani war and a frosty relationship between Moscow and Brussels.

The European Commission increasingly hears comments about a more tailor-made approach for the Trio, and at a recent meeting of EU countries Germany raised the issue of what more should be done for the three countries, Mathernov told a webinar on Thursday (4 March).

Meanwhile, the blocs diplomatic branch, the European External Action Service (EEAS), remains watchful of the possible effects of further differentiation for Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.

We dont want to send a message, for example, that the very strong judicial reform efforts in Armenia are not recognised by the EU as well, said head of EEAS division for Eastern partnership Richard Tibbels said.

I have to say, I dont think we should do this in a way which says there is one set of three countries and another set of three countries, I think we have to be careful that we look at this perhaps in a more functional and sectoral way, he added.

Western Balkans and Associated Trio: Whos ahead?

Meanwhile, official EU accession candidates and the three associated partners are not far apart in terms of Western integration, a recently published study revealed.

A comparison of the Commissions yearly reports on EU hopefuls in the Western Balkans, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia and the progress of agreement implementation with Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, suggested the Balkans are a bit ahead on the political-legal front, whereas the Eastern Europeans have advanced much more in terms of trade and economic cooperation.

The authors argue for an overhaul of the EUs enlargement and neighbourhood policies, partly to strengthen incentives to drive forward political and economic reforms in the would-be accession countries.

The Commission could use similar quantified ratings and tie EU aid to performance on these metrics, the authors said.

We can go further and, in terms of financial assistance, we can have the concept of progressive accession to the structural funds that would indeed be delivering on the more for more slogan, but every step towards fuller financial assistance would be linked quantified ratings of the kinds that weve developed in the paper, said Michael Emerson, senior research fellow at Brussels-based CEPS think tank.

Mathernov agreed that the EU has loaded the the association agreements and the DCFTAs with quite a lot of expectations and I would say regulatory burden on the shoulders of our partners, in fact, going beyond what happens in the pre-accession phase.

The Commission is now looking areas where the cooperation can be deepened, with sight set on the digital market as the regulatory setup in this area is developing dynamically both in the EU and partner countries.

Now, I dont think that we should we can or should oversell this, we have to go step by step, the official added.

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EU warms to more integration with Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine - EURACTIV

Slotegrator will provide expert opinion on the viability and sustainability of the Ukraine market at this months Ukrainian Gaming Week (UGW) in Kyiv.

UGW, which will be held from 23-24 March, is entirely dedicated to issues surrounding one of the latest countries to enter the regulated gambling scene.

Opening of new markets means new horizons to reach and new opportunities to grab, said Slotegrator, as it prepares to present its full suite of solutions to those looking to follow the lead of Parimatch, who last week became the first operator to obtain a sports betting licence from Ukraines Commission for Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries (CRGL).

Despite its approval, SBC News learned that Parimatch is still waiting on final decisions from the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) regarding online gambling taxation, licensing costs and the technical accreditation of systems.

Just last month, Slotegrator Head of Sales Vadim Potapenko gave his thoughts on Ukraines regulatory structure as part of a recent interview originally for Login Casino.

There is no perfect scenario each countrys regulation has its own pros and cons, he shared. Obviously, operators will always have a negative attitude towards taxes they view them as a burdensome expense on top of what they already pay to payment system providers, game developers and affiliates. That is why the simpler the tax scheme is, the easier it is for the operator.

Ukraine is on the right track. There are licences available for both online and land-based projects. Furthermore, the licences are affordable: many will say they are on the high side but I believe that start-ups with the experience and the budget will pop up.

This will reduce risks for the players if a casino has money, it can guarantee that winnings will be paid out. Any new businesses that appear on the Ukrainian market will be well managed projects with sophisticated brands.

In a possible preview for Slotegrators approach at UGW, he added: Operators from other markets might not be aware of acquisition strategies that would work for Ukraine, but if theyve already successfully developed their projects in Europe and Asia, they can definitely find a way to do so in Ukraine, too.

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Slotegrator to join the debate on Ukraine legislation - SBC News

SUMMARY

*Kamensk-Shakhtinskiy, Russian Federation. The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs). The overall number of border crossings by persons increased at both BCPs compared to the previous week. *

OPERATIONAL REMARKS

The OM is currently operating with 22 permanent international Mission members, including the Chief Observer (CO). The Mission is supported administratively by a staff member and the Chief of Fund Administration based in Vienna.

Update on COVID-19 measures

Activities have been impacted by COVID-19 and measures undertaken by the OM to ensure the safety and duty of care of its Mission members and compliance with measures set by the host country authorities. The Mission is continuing to keep the situation under review, in close contact with the OSCE Secretariat and the Chairpersonship. Following the host country's recommendations, the observers are adhering to distancing. Due to the preventive measures taken by the central and regional authorities, the OM is faced with certain difficulties, but is still able to continue to fulfil its mandate without any limitations in its observation and reporting activities.

OBSERVATIONS AT THE BORDER CROSSING POINTS

**Persons crossing the border **

The profile of persons crossing the border can be categorized as follows:

The average number of entries/exits increased from 6,930 to 7,319 per day at both BCPs compared to last week.

During the reporting period, the majority of border crossings were to Ukraine, with an average net flow of 307 per day for both BCPs. The Donetsk BCP continued to experience much more traffic than the Gukovo BCP.

Responding to the COVID-19 situation, the host country closed its borders for the majority of foreigners starting from 18 March 2020. Among the exceptions of persons allowed to cross the border (which entered into force on 19 March) are Ukrainian citizens and stateless persons holding passports or identification documents proving permanent residence in certain areas of Luhansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine. In addition, reportedly, due to the threat of the spread of COVID-19, starting from 10 April 2020, the organized passenger transport commuting between the non-government-controlled areas of Luhansk region of Ukraine and the Russian Federation was temporarily suspended and restored from 25 June.

Persons in military-style outfits

During the reporting period, the number of persons in military-style outfits crossing the border was 15, compared to four last week; seven persons crossed into the Russian Federation while eight persons crossed into Ukraine. These individuals crossed the border on foot.

Families with a significant amount of luggage

The OTs continued to report on families, sometimes with elderly persons and/or children, crossing the border at both BCPs with a significant amount of luggage, or travelling in heavily loaded cars. During this reporting week, seven families were observed crossing into the Russian Federation while 17 families were observed crossing into Ukraine, compared to the previous reporting period when six families were observed crossing into the Russian Federation and five families were observed crossing into Ukraine.

**Bus connections **

Regular local and long-distance bus connections continued to operate between Ukraine (mostly from/to the Luhansk region) and the Russian Federation. During the reporting period, the OTs observed an increase in the overall number of buses crossing the border at both BCPs (322 compared to 297 observed during the previous week). There were 169 buses bound for the Russian Federation and 153 bound for Ukraine. Among the bus connections observed by the OTs, the "irregular" route "Sevastopol" was noted.

On some occasions, the OTs noticed the bus drivers removing the itinerary signs from the windshields of their buses, while some buses did not display their route at all. The majority of long-distance buses commuting between the Luhansk region and cities in the Russian Federation had Ukrainian licence plates issued in the Luhansk region.

Trucks

During the reporting period, the OTs observed a decrease in the overall number of trucks crossing the border at both BCPs (724 compared to 849 during the previous reporting week); 394 at the Gukovo BCP and 330 at the Donetsk BCP, 383 of these trucks crossed into the Russian Federation, and 341 crossed into Ukraine. Most of the trucks observed by the OTs had Ukrainian licence plates issued in the Luhansk region; however, on a daily basis, the OTs also noted trucks registered in Armenia, Belarus, Lithuania, the Russian Federation, and trucks with "LPR" plates.

The OTs also continued to observe tanker trucks crossing the border in both directions. During the reporting period, the OTs observed a slight increase in the overall number of tanker trucks crossing the border at both BCPs (36 compared to 30 during the previous reporting week). These trucks were observed crossing the border at both BCPs. The trucks had the words "Propane" and "Flammable" written across the tanks in either Russian or Ukrainian. The majority of tanker trucks had hazard signs, indicating that they were transporting propane or a mix of propane and butane. All trucks underwent systematic inspection by Russian Federation officials, which could include an X-ray check. Due to the unfavorable observation position at the Gukovo BCP, the OTs continued to be unable to observe any X-ray checks.

Compared to the previous week, the total number of X-ray checks at the Donetsk BCP increased from 137 to 160. Of the total number of trucks scanned, 160 trucks (100 per cent) were bound for Ukraine.

Minivans

The OM continued to observe passenger and cargo minivans[1] crossing the border in both directions at both BCPs. The OTs observed minivans predominantly with Ukrainian licence plates issued in the Luhansk region; however, the OTs also saw minivans registered in the Russian Federation. During the reporting period, the OTs observed a decrease in the overall number of minivans crossing the border at both BCPs (130 compared to 198 observed during the previous week); 81 crossed into the Russian Federation and another 49 into Ukraine.

Trains

The OTs continued to pick up the sound of trains on the railway tracks located approximately 150m south-west of the Gukovo BCP. During the reporting week, the OTs heard trains on 27 occasions; the OTs assessed that 15 trains were travelling to the Russian Federation and the remaining 12 trains were travelling to Ukraine (more details are provided in the sections "trends and figures at a glance" below).

Visual observation was not possible because of the line of trees located between the train tracks and the BCP.

Other observations

The majority of vehicles crossing the border had Ukrainian licence plates issued in the Luhansk region or Russian Federation licence plates. A significant number of vehicles with "LPR" plates were also observed crossing the border in both directions on a daily basis. The OTs observed vehicles with Belarusian, Georgian, and Lithuanian licence plates, and vehicles with "DPR" plates too.

On 5 March at 13:55, the OT at the Donetsk BCP observed a group of nine brand-new ambulances, all "Gazel" models, entering the BCP from the Russian Federation without licence plates and parking at the customs control area. The OT noticed only one driver inside each vehicle. All the vehicles underwent customs control procedures and left for Ukraine at 15:55.

On 8 March at 10:46, the OT at the BCP Donetsk observed a Russian Federation police minivan, also a "Gazel" model, arriving at the BCP from the Russian Federation and parking next to the main building. At 11:02, the police vehicle drove back towards the Russian Federation. The OT was unable to observe any other details from its position.

For trends and figures at a glance covering the period from 2 February 2021 to 9 March 2021, please see the attachment here.

[1] Cargo minivans: light commercial vehicles with a maximum authorized mass of more than 3.5 t and not more than 7.5 t; with or without a trailer with a maximum mass of less than 750 kg (small cargo vehicles that correspond to driving licence C1).

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Weekly Update from the OSCE Observer Mission at Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk based on information as of 9 March 2021 - Ukraine - ReliefWeb