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Crimea and Sevastopol

Crimea says upcoming secession referendum in line with intl

SIMFEROPOL, March 13, /ITAR-TASS/. Crimea’s authorities have urged Western politicians, who call an upcoming referendum on whether to secede from Ukraine and become part of Russia illegitimate, to study the norms of international law.

“Our referendum is being held in strict compliance with all norms and rules of international law,” Crimean Information Minister Dmitry Polonsky told Western media.

“Similar situations in Europe will emerge in Scotland and Catalonia. We are ready to not only hold the referendum in strict compliance with the norms of international law but to share our experience how to do that,” the Kryminform news agency quoted Polonsky as saying.

Polonsky dismissed Western leaders’ claims the Crimean referendum was out of line with international law.

“I would call on all European politicians… to study the norms of international law,” he said.

Crimea’s parliament, the Supreme Council, on March 6 decided that the autonomous Ukrainian republic would secede from Ukraine and join Russia as its constituent member. The issue was put to a referendum that will take place on March 16. The Crimean parliament adopted on Tuesday a declaration of independence.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich left Ukraine in February after a coup in his country. At Tuesday’s press conference in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, he said he remained the legitimate Ukrainian leader despite “an anti-constitutional seizure of power by armed radicals.

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Referendum in Crimea

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