Tim Hitchens talking to students at the Taurida University

Crimean challenges. Tim Hitchens, Director European Political Affairs, is visiting Ukraine and we head down to Crimea. The peninsula, familiar to Brits from the Crimean War in the 1850s, is a region of Ukraine to which the UK pays special attention.  Crimea only became part of Ukraine in 1954, having formerly belonged to Russia and there are several factors which could, potentially, contribute to instability there, including the presence of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol; the fact that many Russian citizens have made Crimea their home; and the several hundred thousand Crimean Tatars, who have returned to the region from Central Asia since the 1980s and are concerned about access to land.  All this means that the UK and the international community, including Ukraine and Russia, have a strong interest in ensuring that the region remains as stable as possible.  One way we can contribute to that is through project work, both bilaterally and through the European Union and the United Nations Development Programme, to strengthen inter-ethnic understanding and to help develop the Crimean economy.  We also want to spread the word about the potential benefits to Crimea, like the rest of Ukraine, of closer ties with the European Union.  

Tim and I are delighted to have accompanying us on this trip Anna Kostrzewa, Deputy Director of the Eastern Department of the Polish Foreign Ministry.  Poland, having joined the EU in 2004 and with both a long shared border and a long shared history with Ukraine is, like the UK, a keen advocate of closer EU-Ukraine ties and has a wealth of valuable experience to share.  During our day in Crimea Anna, Tim and I talk to students at the Taurida University in Simferopol; meet regional leaders; exchange ideas with UNDP; drink coffee with the leader of the Crimean Tatars; and give two long TV interviews.  It's all fascinating stuff.  But the meeting with students is a highlight.  The room is full to bursting point; the questions are sharp; the extent of knowledge about the EU is impressive; and the standard of English is superb.  There's no doubt Crimea, like Ukraine, faces some tough challenges.  But whenever you meet a roomful of switched-on students, you can't help feeling optimistic about the future.