Ten French parliamentarians are expected this Thursday in the Crimea, for a two-day visit. Among them, the MP Jacques Myard (Republicans) another trip which made the front page in February, when he went to meet Assad in Syria with three other parliamentarians … The problem this time is that the coming of the French delegation in this peninsula annexed by Russia presents “a risk of exploitation by the Russian media and a risk of violation of international law,” warned Laurent Fabius.
A dozen MPs should participate in this trip, all members of the Republicans as Thierry Mariani, Jacques Myard, Claude Goasguen and Marie-Christine Dalloz, except Jérôme Lambert (radical group, Republican, Democratic and Progressive). Two senators were also to join this trip, the centrist Yves Pozzo di Borgo and joëlle garriaud-maylam (LR), but the intervention of the Senate President Gerard Larcher (LR), who advised against the trip, “was effective , “the Foreign Minister. The president of the National Assembly Claude Bartolone (PS) has not had the same success.
As a reminder, the Crimea was annexed by Moscow in 2014 after a disputed referendum illegal and qualified by the international community. The European Union has imposed sanctions that prohibit including tourism in Crimea. As for parliamentary activities …
“One day in Moscow two days in Crimea”
“The travel program is Moscow, Yalta , Simferopol. One day in Moscow two days in the Crimea, “said Thierry Mariani. This trip is it a mark of support for Vladimir Putin? “It is a mark of interest in what is happening and curiosity,” said the deputy of the French from abroad iTV. “The Foreign Ministry has been informed, the Foreign Ministry is not in favor, but France parliamentarians know take responsibility.” The delegation includes parliamentarians according to him “who want to inform, engage, to form an opinion, and others who already have an opinion on the subject.”
An opinion rather favorable to Russia, in this case. “They are very pro-Russian, which is their right. But we can show its friendship with Russia without visiting a territory annexed by a violation of international law condemned by the United Nations,” said the Chair of the Committee of Foreign Affairs of the Assembly Elisabeth Guigou (PS). “Returning to Crimea without the permission of the Ukrainian authorities is to recognize the claims of Moscow,” warned Laurent Fabius, speaking before the committee in camera.
The spokesman of the French Foreign Ministry had already in the morning “strongly regretted” the initiative “personal” parliamentarians, saying it was a “violation of international law “. In a reaction from Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport, where he was about to embark for Moscow, Jacques Myard joked “on praise supported Mr. Fabius returned to the independence of Members”. For his part, Claude Goasguen is “annoyed”: “I’m not for the Crimea, I am not against, I want to see.”
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