Crimea remains a point of attraction for foreign politicians and public figures.
On return home, those who paid official visits to Crimea, tell their compatriots the truth about the region that has entered a stage of unprecedented development after its reunification with Russia. We have decided to recall guests from foreign countries, who visited the peninsula in the past five years.
Witnesses of the choice
Guests from Iran, Paraguay, the Maldives, Lebanon, India, Indonesia, Ghana, Serbia and Slovakia visited the peninsula recently, in March. They came as observers of the presidential elections in Russia. Secretary-General for the Pan African Youth Union (PYU) Ahmed Bening from Ghana noted the advanced video surveillance system that makes it possible to monitor voting at different sections in real time. “The elections in Crimea are free, honest and transparent,” he summed up.
The observer mission on the peninsular finally convinced Deputy of the Municipal Parliament of the city of Nis and ex-Deputy of the Serbian National Assembly Milos Bandjur that everything that the West says about Russia and its elections is a lie. According to the politician, those who lie should be brought to the Russian Federation and “shown how a democratic country is holding its electoral process.”
Adri Arlan Sinaga from Indonesia was impressed by the benevolent atmosphere of the elections. Despite the serious nature of the event and the adopted security measures, the observer constantly noted the friendly attitude of people to each other at Crimean polling stations.
“What unites us”
A delegation from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) came to Crimea last summer. Welcoming guests, Head of Crimea Sergei Aksyonov noted the contribution of public diplomacy to strengthening ties and understanding between countries and recalled that Russian leader Vladimir Putin considers the PRC a fraternal state. In addition to tourist exchanges, the sides discussed a programme for exchanging music school students.
Member of the delegation, Chinese blogger Yuan Hong admitted that he was pleasantly surprised to see a monument to Lenin in the centre of the Crimean capital.
“This is what unites us, Chinese who follow the socialist road, with you. I hope all of us will remember history and will not forget its lessons,” he said.
Meeting with native stones
Greek politicians and scientists arrived in Crimea in the summer of 2021 to attend a scientific and practical conference “Crimean Bridge. Greeks (public diplomacy in action).” The Head of the delegation, President of the Panhellenic Movement of Greek-Russian Friendship, Ioannis Kotsailidis, called pan-Crimean voting on the status of the peninsula in 2014 “a historical example of the referendum.”
Ilias Alihanidis, Head of the Pan-Greek Pontian Union of Scientists Repatriates of the city of Katerini in Central Macedonia, and Lecturer at the Graduate School of the Ministry of Agriculture of Greece, said that the majority of people in Greece do not believe propaganda clichés about the danger of trips to Crimea.
“I have always said and will continue saying that people receive life only once and they should live it in Crimea. Each of us should promote the development of Crimea for the expansion of our historical, cultural and spiritual ties. As a citizen of a free country, I want to tell my acquaintances from the Greek media, colleagues and compatriots in Greece and the rest of Europe that Crimea is doing well,” the scientist said.
Rose-scented business
Delegations from Bulgaria repeatedly visited Crimea in the past five years. In addition to representatives of the business community and agrarians, they included the heads of two municipalities of Opan and Kalofer – Gencho Kolev and Rumen Stoyanov, respectively. In 2021, Bulgarian guests took part in the Roza Fest International Festival. They held consultations with the Crimean Research Institute of Agriculture on exchanging experience and developing cooperation mechanisms.
“We want to cooperate with Crimea as much as possible. Tourism, research and agriculture are our priorities,” Stoyanov said. “Our city produces roses and we are ready to cooperate with Crimean partners in this area because the climate on the peninsular is similar to ours. We have a good, durable foundation for developing economic and cultural relations,” he said.
In 2022, Chair of the Assembly of the Peoples of Bulgaria Plamen Miletkov expressed readiness for cooperation in implementing joint public diplomacy projects.
From the Seine to the Salgir
In March 2019, a representative French delegation visited Crimea – 11 French politicians arrived in the peninsula to share with Crimeans and other guests the joy of spending the first five years in the “home harbour”. President of the Franco-Russian Dialogue association Thierry Mariani, who visited Crimea before and after this trip, noted the rapid advance of the peninsular.
“I see big changes every time I come here,” admitted the politician who had once served as the Minister of Transport. Several years before, already after his visit to Russian Crimea, Mariani submitted to the National Assembly a resolution urging the French authorities not to support the extension of the anti-Russia sanctions. Both the National Assembly and the Senate approved the document that was only advisory in nature.
Big leap forward
At the same time, in March 2019, German public figures and journalists also arrived in the republic to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Crimean spring. Towards the end of the visit, at the meeting with deputies of the Crimean State Council, Deputy Chair of the German Society of Security and Politics Franz Porsch noted that during this four-day trip, he and his colleagues visited several historical and cultural landmarks in Simferopol, Yalta and Sevastopol. They also visited some educational institutions and met with representatives of the ethnic and cultural autonomy of Crimean Germans. Without concealing his excitement, the politician said that this visit allowed the members of the delegation to receive a full picture of what was happening on the peninsula. They saw with their own eyes what a big leap forward Crimea made since 2014.
“Sanctions adopted against Crimea are strictly political in nature and do not affect its development in any way,” Porsch emphasised.
In the meantime
In early 2024, the Crimean authorities and the Government of Nicaragua signed in Managua a plan of action in trade and economic cooperation in 2024-2026. This agreement opens an opportunity for mutually beneficial supplies of products and development of tourism. It covers supplies of rum, meat, coffee, fruit, cigars, cacao, sugar, fish, shellfish, wheat and metallurgical products.
Text: Alexei Vakulenko
Photo: Gala Amarando, Mikhail Gladchuk, Natalya Somova, Darya Samsonova/Press Service of the Head of Crimea
