Gateway Travel has defended arrangements to take travellers on trips around the peninsula that was attached by Russia just about two years back in a move that prompted widespread condemnation among the global community.
The Ukrainian Ambassador Mykola Kulinich on Tuesday kept in touch with Miss Julie Bishop furthermore sent a letter of protest to the company. Mr. Kulinich has raised concerns that the tours would violate the position held by much of the international group including Australia in connection to Ukraine's sovereignty over Crimea that was held by Russia in March 2014.
'Crimea was brutally annexed and occupied in 2014 with Russian troops,' the letter sent to Gateway said, also cautioning against any steps that might be interpreted as recognition of illegal annexation. Mr. Kulinich has also raised concerns about the security of travellers.
A representative for the Ukraine Embassy additionally pointed to the 2014 shooting down of flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine a disaster in which Russia has been blamed for inclusion that killed all 298 individuals on board.
'And almost 40 people called Australia home,' the embassy's press officer Halyna Yusyiuk told AAP on Wednesday.
The Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations recently said that the company was offering out to the individuals who have little respect for Australian values and who stand blamed for shooting down MH17.
Miss Yusyiuk said people taking up the offer would also determine a very different Crimea to that existed two years ago.
Gateway Travel has said that the tours are non-political, adding that Crimea belongs to Russia at the moment.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade keeps on prompting against all travel to Crimea because of very high risk. It warns that regular travel insurance approaches would be void and the Australian government is unlikely to have the capacity to give consular help.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
