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Ukrainian politicians, in particular, members of the Verkhovna Rada, plan to promote the Crimean Platform among the partner countries to involve them in the initiatives activities.

"I hope that we will be able to organize a kind of tour of European partner countries. We also intend to visit the Asian countries to intensify the participation of our allies in the Crimean Platform around the world in the remaining months," Akhtem Chiygoz, a Ukrainian politician, deputy chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, chairman of the Bakhchisaray Regional Mejlis, MP of Ukraine, told Ukrinform.

Currently, Ukrainian lawmakers are trying to engage in dialogue at the level of friendship groups with different countries and announced the creation of a Crimean Platform within the Parliament to intensify the work of these inter-parliamentary friendship groups. There is a need to concentrate our efforts so that our partners take this new platform with due attention, the politician stressed.

According to Chiygoz, it is very important to persuade the countries, against which Russia is currently using "very vile tools of blackmail" to prevent them from joining the Ukrainian initiative. To persuade these countries, the participation of leading countries, such as Germany, France, the United States, Canada, in the inaugural summit on August 23 would be important. According to Chiygoz, this would allow the countries under pressure to be more decisive and discuss Ukraine's proposals. In the politician's opinion, the adoption of the Ukrainian proposals will be a "colossal blow to Russias image in the international arena" and intensify the opposition within Russia itself in the fight against Putin's criminal regime.

Crimean Platform is a new consultative and coordination format initiated by Ukraine to improve the efficiency of the international response to the occupation of Crimea, respond to growing security challenges, step up international pressure on Russia, prevent further human rights violations, protect victims of the occupying power and to achieve the de-occupation of Crimea and its return to Ukraine.

Crimean Platform is expected to operate at the level of heads of state and government, foreign ministers, in the dimension of inter-parliamentary cooperation and expert network.

Ukraine is actively inviting world countries to take part in the Crimean Platform activities.

The Crimean Platform is to be launched officially at an inaugural summit in Kyiv in August 2021.

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Chiygoz: Ukraine will promote Crimean Platform in Europe and Asia - Ukrinform. Ukraine and world news

Poland and Estonia must demonstrate solidarity and support their partners in the east, in particular Ukraine. One of the mechanisms to support Kyiv is the assistance within the funds of the Three Seas Initiative.

President of Estonia Kersti Kaljulaid made a corresponding statement during a joint press conference with President of Poland Andrzej Duda in Warsaw on Tuesday, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

According to Kaljulaid, Poland and Estonia need to work more closely with the Eastern Partnership countries. She noted that more efforts should be made to hold "as soon as possible" a real meeting with the leaders of the Eastern Partnership countries, which has not been held since 2017.

In addition, we can use our possibilities to help Ukraine get closer to our economies and to our understanding of Europe's future. The Three Seas Initiative can help in this context, Kaljulaid said.

According to her, Ukraine, though it is not EU member, can receive assistance from various funds within the Three Seas Initiative.

In turn, Duda noted that President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky had informed the presidents of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia in Warsaw the day before that Russian troops had been returning to their permanent locations from Ukraines borders.

However, that was a demonstration of the strength of the Russian army. In my opinion, NATO should draw conclusions," Duda said.

He added that the issue would be discussed at the Bucharest Nine summit in Bucharest in a few days and at the NATO summit in Brussels in June.

As reported, on May 3, the presidents of Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia met in Warsaw to celebrate the 230th anniversary of the adoption of the 3 May Constitution. The presidents of the five countries signed a joint declaration, which emphasizes that the solidarity of nations under current threats to common security is one of the cornerstones of peace, stability, development, prosperity, and resilience.

In addition, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda signed a joint declaration of Warsaw's support for Kyiv's European aspirations.

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President of Estonia: Ukraine can receive support within Three Seas Initiative funds - Ukrinform. Ukraine and world news

On April 28, 2021, an online training for the representatives of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) on the European Social Charter (ESC) and its application in Ukraine was held.

This training is the first one for representatives of non-governmental organisations. Today's event aims to provide more information on the European Social Charter as a key document for the protection of social rights, in particular rights of people with disabilities, and to provide a new practical tool for non-governmental organisations to monitor social rights, said in her welcoming speech Ms Siuzanna Mnatsakanian, Senior Project Officer of the Council of Europe Project Promoting social human rights as a key factor of sustainable democracy in Ukraine.

Victoria Nazarenko, Secretary General of the National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine, noted that Ukraine needs to improve its legislation. And if NGOs apply standards of the European Social Charter more frequently, there will be more chances to implement the Social Constitution of Europe in Ukraine, and thus improve the situation of people with disabilities".

Ms Alla Fedorova, national consultant of the Council of Europe Project "Promoting social human rights as a key factor of sustainable democracy in Ukraine", Associate Professor of Chair of Comparative and European Law, Institute of International Relations, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Candidate of Law, was a lecturer of the training.

The European Social Charter is the first document in the history of international law and human rights that enshrined not just a broad catalog of social, economic and labuor rights, but the broadest one. And there is no other better document so far to protect social human rights, said Ms Alla Fedorova.

More than 50 participants got acquainted with the main provisions of the ESC and the characteristics of the rights it enshrines, in particular, the right to health care, medical assistance, and social security. The basic rights of persons with disabilities within the ESC were also discussed as well as the practice of the European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR), the implementation of Ukraine's obligations vis--vis Article 15 of the ESC, as well as the recommendations of the ECSR regarding Ukraine.

Important documents and research already conducted by the Project were also vividly discussed, namely:

This event was organised by the Council of Europe Project Promoting social human rights as a key factor of sustainable democracy in Ukraine (Project) at the request of the National Assembly of Persons with Disabilities of Ukraine.

The recording of the training is available here.

The presentation of the training is available via the link (First part, Second part).

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Training for NGO representatives on the European Social Charter and its application in Ukraine - Council of Europe

When Islamic State gunmen stormed the Mosul Cultural Museum and filmed themselves taking sledgehammers to 3,000-year-old Assyrian statues in 2015, museum director Zaid Ghazi watched the images online aghast.

Mr. Ghazi was at his home in Mosul, unable to go to work since the militants had seized the city, one of Iraqs largest, and made it the crown jewel of their self-proclaimed caliphate. He later learned that Islamic State militants had set fire to the museums library of 25,000 books.

It was unbelievable, he said. It showed the deep hatred in their hearts.

The museum is a symbol of a multicultural version of Iraqi society that Islamic State tried to obliterate during the three years it ruled Mosul before being driven from the city in 2017. Founded in 1952, the secular, public institution showcases thousands of years of Iraqs history, including extensive exhibits on pre-Islamic times.

Today, Iraqi authorities, along with Mr. Ghazi and international supporters including the Smithsonian Institution, have begun a painstaking process of rebuilding the museum and restoring its place as a vital center of culture in Iraq.The museum has reopened for individual art events since 2019, but is now closed as administrators plan the next phase of its rehabilitation, which is expected to take years. Its reconstruction offers an opportunity to redress the traumas of Islamic States occupation.

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Shattered by ISIS, Iraqs Mosul Museum Is Rising From the Ashes - The Wall Street Journal

A US delegation in Iraq discussed American troop presence and the status of strategic talks in meetings with Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi and President Barham Salih.

The meetings come as the US and Iraq discuss the future of relations and the future of the 2,500 US soldiers based in Iraq to support the fight against ISIS.

Mr Al Kadhimi met the delegation headed by US National Security Co-ordinator for the Middle East and North Africa Brett McGurk to discuss co-ordination and co-operation in various fields.

The meeting emphasised implementing the outcome of the strategic dialogue between Iraq and the US, especially with regard to the withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq, to the Iraqi PM's office reported.

Mr Al Kadhimi, who previously ran the Iraqi National Intelligence Service, worked closely with Mr McGurk when he was the US envoy to the international coalition against ISIS.

During his visit, Mr McGurk met President Barham Saleh and Parliamentary Speaker Mohammed Al Halbousi.

The Iraqi officials highlighted the importance of enhancing relations between Baghdad and Washington with Mr McGurk's delegation.

Mr Saleh told Mr McGurk that his country is "embarking on a balanced policy that will defuse tensions in the region".

"Iraq's distinguished geographical location represents a pivotal factor in facing challenges related to terrorism and enhancing stability in the region," Mr Saleh said during the meeting.

Mr McGurk's meeting with Mr Al Halbousi discussed "co-operation between the US and Iraq in the security, economic, cultural and health sectors in light of combating the coronavirus pandemic" the Iraqi news agency, INA, reported.

Mr Al Halbousi said that Washington must support Baghdad's security and stability.

Last year, a parliament bill ordered America to pull all its forces from Iraq following the killing of Iranian general Qassem Suleimani near Baghdad airport last January.

The officials also spoke about the "importance of activating the outcomes of the strategic dialogue".

Mr McGurk expressed the United States' continued support for "Iraq, and its commitment to the strategic partnership to ensure they work together for a strong, sovereign Iraq".

The US group is the largest and highest-level delegation from President Joe Biden's administration to visit the region since he took office on January 20.

As well as Mr McGurk, State Department counsellor and undersecretary Derek Chollet, Acting Assistant Secretary for Near East Affairs Joey Hood, and the head of the Middle East desk at the Pentagon, Dana Stroul, joined the delegation.

The US and Iraq are in strategic dialogue to discuss the future of relations. The meetings began under former president Donald Trump last June and the first round of talks under the Biden administration were held last month.

A joint statement after the most recent talks said the US will move its remaining combat troops out of Iraq.

The visit came after three attacks on bases hosting American forces in as many days.

Two rockets hit an unoccupied area of the Ain Al Assad airbase in the Anbar province on Tuesday, "without causing damage or casualties", the Iraqi army said.

The attack followed a similar rocket strike against an airbase at Baghdad airport housing US-led coalition troops on Sunday night and another against Balad airbase, which hosts US contractors, north of the capital on Monday night.

None of the attacks have so far been claimed, but Washington blames Iran-linked Iraqi Popular Mobilisation Forces, government-sanctioned paramilitary forces, for repeated attacks on its troops and diplomats.

Pro-Iran Iraqi groups have vowed to increase attacks to force out the US forces since Suleimani's killing.

AFP reported that since Mr Biden took office in January, about 30 rocket or bomb attacks targeted American interests in Iraq, including troops, the embassy or Iraqi supply convoys to foreign forces.

Two foreign contractors, one Iraqi contractor and eight Iraqi civilians were killed in the attacks.

Last month, an explosives-packed drone hit Iraq's Erbil airport in the first reported use of such a weapon against a base used by US-led coalition troops in the country.

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US delegation talks troops and relations in Iraq as attacks hit bases - The National