The Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Viacheslav Kyrylenko took part in the start of work of the V International Forum "Occupied Crimea: Five Years of Resistance". The meeting was attended by the wife of the President of Ukraine Maryna Poroshenko, the Commissioner of the President of Ukraine for the Affairs of the Crimean Tatar People Mustafa Dzhemilev and the Special Representative of the United States Department of State for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker. On behalf of the Ukrainian Government, the Deputy Prime Minister thanked Kurt Volker for his daily and important work in support of the territorial integrity of Ukraine:

"During the five years, the United States of America, the entire free world supports the struggle of Ukraine to restore territorial integrity, the struggle of the Crimean Tatar people for returning to their native land all those who are in forced immigration. Ukrainians and the whole world remember the Crimean political prisoners and the daily struggle of those who stayed on the peninsula", said Viacheslav Kyrylenko during the official opening of the Forum.

Moreover, the Deputy Prime Minister stressed that Ukraine will celebrate the return of the Crimea, while those who have annexed and embarked on a path of an international crime will be punished.

Within the framework of the Forum the exhibition "Amazing Stories of Crimea" began. The project represents Crimea as a unique multicultural space, which is part of the invaluable treasury of Ukraine's cultural heritage.

Items from the collections of 15 Ukrainian museums as well as private collections - from Scythian gold, weapons, artifacts to works of contemporary art - shall reveal the amazing stories that various epochs left behind.

On February 27, within the framework of the Forum, there will take place panel discussions, during which national and international instruments for fighting for the return of the Crimea will be discussed as well as human rights discourse to draw attention to the violation of human rights in the occupied peninsula.

As is known, February 26 marks the Day of the Crimean resistance to the Russian occupation.