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Crimea and Sevastopol

Russian consulate-general in Crimea to be turned into Foreign Ministry office

The Federal Migration Service will deal with Russian citizenship issues

MOSCOW, March 21. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia’s Consulate-General in Crimea will be turned into an office of the Foreign Ministry, State Secretary and Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said on Friday.

“The Federal Migration Service (FMS) will deal with Russian citizenship issues. Many people, not only in Ukraine, wish to receive Russian citizenship,” the diplomat said. “The FMS has started issuing Russian passports on the territory of Crimea. It has opened a rather big office in Simferopol and Sevastopol. First passports have been issued.”

“I’m sure that legislative initiatives are indispensable. Corresponding funding has been provided from the budget. The work continues in all directions,” Karasin said.

“I’m convinced that people, who seek to receive citizenship, will have it. They need patience,” he said.

Russian Consul-General in Simferopol Vyacheslav Svetlichny told Itar-Tass: “The consulate will be turned into an office of the Russian Foreign Ministry in the Republic of Crimea.”

“Till now a decision has not taken and I’ll perform duties of consul-general. If it is taken I’ll be head of the Foreign Ministry office in the Republic of Crimea,” Svetlichny said.

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Crimea and Sevastopol

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