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Crimea and Sevastopol

Crimea’s accession to Russia proceeds amid tragic events in Ukraine - FM

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Lavrov considers adoption of laws on Crimea, Sevastopol accession to Russia turning point

MOSCOW, March 20. /ITAR-TASS/. Crimea’s accession to Russia proceeds amid tragic events in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at the State Duma on Thursday.

“Crimea’s historical reunification with Russia proceeds amid tragic events in Ukraine. A coup d’etat was committed in the brotherly country with the support from outside. Unlawfulness continues: the new authorities support actions by national radicals, anti-Semites and other extremists whose actions pose a real threat to people’s life and security,” Lavrov said.

“I want to note gross human rights violations, discrimination and persecutions of grounds of nationality, language and political convictions,” the minister said.

“These facts made the existence of Crimea within the Ukrainian state impossible. The republic’s decision to accede to Russia is based on Crimean peoples’ free expression of the will in the referendum on March 16,” Lavrov said.

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Crimea and Sevastopol

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