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Crimea and Sevastopol

Crimea Platform members encroach on Russia’s territorial integrity — diplomat

Maria Zakharova slammed Kiev’s initiative as populism and a "political performance that is removed from reality"

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs/TASS

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova

© Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs/TASS

MOSCOW, August 24. /TASS/. Russia is forced to view participation of certain countries and international organizations in the Crimea Platform meeting as infringement of its territorial integrity, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said in a statement on Tuesday.

She slammed Kiev’s initiative as populism and a "political performance that is removed from reality" which is aimed at "maintaining the topic of Crimea’s temporary stay in Ukraine in the information space." "At the same time, as we warned, we will be forced to view participation of separate countries, international organizations and their representatives in the Crimea Platform as encroachment on Russia’s territorial integrity which will inevitably have its effect on our relations," Zakharova underlined.

Zakharova stressed that the final declaration of the Crimea Platform forum which was held on August 23 in Kiev contains a call to Russia to join the initiative. Moscow dismisses the idea due to the forum’s "cynical anti-Russian intention." Instead, the Russian side invites foreign partners to Crimea to take part in truly Crimea-oriented platforms that involve different areas of the peninsula’s development.

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Crimea and Sevastopol

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