On Wednesday, President of the Slovak Republic Andrej Kiska received the representative of the Crimean Tartar people Mustafa Dzhemilev,  a member of the Ukrainian Parliament, a former political prisoner, a life-long defender of human rights, freedom and democracy, who has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and is a laureate of numerous awards.

In his introduction, President Kiska acknowledged Mustafa Dzhemilev´s incredible courage during the times of the Soviet totalitarian regime. Dzhemilev protested publicly against the invasion of the Warsaw Pact armies in Czechoslovakia in August 1968, even at the price of long years of political persecution and imprisonment.

The President gave prominence to Mustafa´s Dzhemilev´s life-long peaceful efforts to promote the principles of freedom, democracy and fundamental human rights´ protection and expressed his support to the Crimean Tartars representative in his endeavours. Kiska stressed that Dzhemilev´s life story carries a significant message to all those who casually approach the need to protect the values of freedom, democracy and human dignity.

In the conversation, Mustafa Dzhemilev also spoke about the situation in the Crimea and mentioned, in particular, the difficult economic, social and security conditions of the lives of the Crimean Tartars after the unlawful annexation of the Crimea by the Russian Federation. The President further expressed his interest in Mustafa Dzhemilev´s view on development in the Ukraine and, generally, the region at large.  They both agreed that peace, security and stability, as well as reforms and democratic rules are a prerequisite necessary for the further development and prosperity of the Ukraine and its people.