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Crimea and Sevastopol

Lavrov says 'Crimea is not a problem, it is a part of Russia'

The Russian top diplomat noted that a number of Italian lawmakers and members of the European Parliament had visited Crimea and had a chance to see with their own eyes the situation there

© Mikhail Metzel/TASS, archieve

ROME, December 2. /TASS/. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has called for an unbias approach in assessing the situation in Crimea, in particular, as far as Crimean Tatars are concerned.

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"Crimea is not a problem," Lavrov said at the Mediterranean Dialogues forum. "Crimea is a part of Russia which has rejoined Russia after a referendum held by people living in the peninsula. All who want to know about the situation in Crimea are welcome to visit it any time."

The Russian top diplomat noted that a number of Italian lawmakers and members of the European Parliament had visited Crimea and had a chance to see with their own eyes the situation there, in particular the situation of Crimean Tatars. He reminded that immediately after Crimea’s reunification with Russia the Russian president signed decrees on the rehabilitation of the Crimean Tatar people and on the use of the Crimean Tatar language as an official language, which had not been done while Crimea had been part of Ukraine.

"A program for Crimea’s socio-economic development, including its Crimean Tatar population, was also adopted," Lavrov said. "Those who really want to know how things are rather than keep on insisting on ultimatums should better go to Crimea to see everything with their own eyes."

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