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MOSCOW, March 21. /ITAR-TASS/. The term 'annexation' cannot be applied to the process of Crimea’s reunification with Russia, says Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. “When our foreign colleagues use the term 'annexation', I tell them, Ask your spokespersons and press services to take videos from Crimea, where residents of the peninsula demonstrate sincere joy from the accession to Russia,” he said. “It is impossible to play this, impossible to rehearse, impossible to stage-manage this joy, this true happiness (of the Crimeans)," Lavrov added. The statement on the 'annexation' of Crimea is an insult to the residents of Crimea, Lavrov went on...

MOSCOW, March 20. /ITAR-TASS/. The Russian State Duma has adopted in first reading and a whole the federal constitutional law on Crimea’s admission to the Russian Federation and on creating new sub-federal entities — the Republic of Crimea and the city of federal significance Sevastopol. In the final reading, 445 parliamentarians casted affirmative votes and one deputy voted against the bill submitted by the president. The only lawmaker that did not support the document was member of A Just Russia party Ilya Ponomaryov. The lawmakers have also ratified the interstate treaty on the admission of Crimea into Russia. The treaty,...

MOSCOW, March 20, /ITAR-TASS/. Russian lawmakers will meet at an extraordinary session on Thursday to consider the presidential package of bills on Crimea's reunification with Russia. The documents under review are an inter-state treaty and a constitutional bill on the creation of two new constituent members of the Russian Federation. On Tuesday, the Russian Parliament's committee on CIS affairs unanimously recommended to ratify "the Crimean treaty," signed in the Kremlin on March 18, while the house committee on constitutional legislation and state development recommended to approve all the readings of the bill on Crimea and Sevastopol's joining Russia. The treaty...

MOSCOW, March 19, ITAR-TASS/. Crimea and the port city of Sevastopol, which are now parts of Russia, will receive the status of a republic and a city of federal significance, respectively, judging from the draft of a federal constitutional law “On Adoption of the Republic of Crimea into Russia and the Formation of New Constituent Entities - the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, a city of federal significance, in the territory of Russia.” Russian President Vladimir Putin submitted the bill to the Russian State Duma on Wednesday March 19 . The names of the Republic of Crimea and the city...

MOSCOW, March 19. /ITAR-TASS/. President Vladimir Putin has submitted to the State Duma, the lower house of Parliament, a treaty of Crimea’s reunification with Russia and a constitutional amendment on setting up two new constituent territories of the Russian Federation, officials at the parliamentary department for public relations said. Earlier, President Vladimir Putin, Chairman of the State Council of the Republic of Crimea Vladimir Konstnatinov and Crimean Prime Minister Sergei Aksyonov, Sevastopol Mayor Alexei Chaly signed a treaty which stipulates that the Republic of Crimea has been acknowledged as reunified with the Russian Federation. Since the date of Crimea's accession...

MOSCOW, March 19. /ITAR-TASS/. The State Duma, upper house of Russian Parliament, will convene for an extraordinary session on Thursday, March 20, to ratify the re-unification treaty with Crimea, First Deputy Duma Speaker Ivan Melnikov said. “There is the judgment of the Constitutional Court (which recognized the treaty as conforming to the Russian Constitution),” Melnikov told ITAR-TASS on Wednesday, March 19. “In this connection, the State Duma today will debate the draft resolution on holding an unscheduled plenary meeting at 16:00 tomorrow, March 20, to discuss the ratification of the treaty and the adoption of a constitutional law on the...

ST. PETERSBURG, March 19. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia’s Constitutional Court has said the Treaty on Crimea’s Accession to Russia corresponds to the Russian Constitution. March 18, 16:06 Russia Agreement between Russia and Republic of Crimea signed “The Constitutional Court recognizes that the Treaty corresponds to the Russian Constitution,” the Constitutional Court chairman, Valery Zorkin, said on Wednesday. On Tuesday, March 18, Russian President Vladimir Putin approved the draft treaty on Crimea's reunification with Russia and the formation of new sub-federal entities as part of the Russian Federation. He also notified both chambers of the Russian Parliament on the proposals by Crimea's Supreme...

Dear friends, we have gathered here today in connection with an issue that is of vital, historic significance to all of us. A referendum was held in Crimea on March 16 in full compliance with democratic procedures and international norms. More than 82 percent of the electorate took part in the vote. Over 96 percent of them spoke out in favour of reuniting with Russia. These numbers speak for themselves. To understand the reason behind such a choice it is enough to know the history of Crimea and what Russia and Crimea have always meant for each other. Everything in...

MOSCOW, March 18. /ITAR-TASS/. The Russian President stressed that Russia has vital interests in Crimea. Putin says that it is important to ensure the right of all ethnicities in Crimea, including Crimean Tatars. There will be three official languages - Russian, Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar. Vladimir Putin is talking about the history of the Crimean region and its importance to Russia. More than 82% of the voters took part in the referendum in Crimea, and more than 96% voted for accession to Russia, Putin says. Russian President Vladimir Putin is about to make a statement on Crimea's application for accession...

State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin told the media on Monday the president would express his attitude to the requests from Crimea and Sevastopol for accession to Russia and to the just-held referendum. The speaker of the lower house earlier explained the rules of admitting the federation’s new members. “There are several steps. First, a foreign country addresses Russia with a request for joining the federation and on concluding a corresponding inter-state treaty. The president shall inform the Federation Council, the State Duma and the government of this motion and hold consultations, if necessary. After the signing of the inter-state treaty...

MOSCOW, March 17, /ITAR-TASS/. President Vladimir Putin on Monday, March 17, signed a degree recognising the Republic of Crimea as a sovereign and independent state. “1. Considering the will of the peoples of Crimea expressed at the all-Crimea referendum on March 16, 2014, I hereby decree that the Republic of Crimea, where the City Of Sevastopol has a special status, be recognised as a sovereign and independent state,” the decree said. The decree entered into force upon signature, the presidential press service said.

Russia gave its clearest signal yet Monday that it plans to move fast to annex Crimea, defying U.S. and European threats of sanctions a day after a referendum in the breakaway Ukrainian region to secede passed handily. The Moscow-backed leadership of Crimea wasted no time in formally asking to join Russia following the hastily called referendum in which 97% of voters supported becoming part of Russia. "We will take care of our part quickly, quickly and responsibly," Sergei Naryshkin, speaker of the lower house of Russia's parliament, told reporters in response to the Crimean parliamentary vote, according to local news...

MOSCOW, March 17. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin will deliver an address to Russia’s parliament, the Federal Assembly, over Crimea’s accession to Russia as a new constituent entity on Tuesday, March 18, First Deputy Speaker of State Duma lower house of parliament Ivan Melnikov told reporters on Monday after a meeting of the State Duma Council. In his words, Putin will deliver an address to Parliament at 3pm Moscow time (GMT+4). On Independce of Crimea The Supreme Council of Crimea on its special plenary session on Monday has adopted the resolution “On Independence of Crimea”. According to the Crimean parliament’s...