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Crimea and Sevastopol

Crimea’s status is non-negotiable, Lavrov says

In 2014, the Russian president signed the treaty on Crimea’s reunification with Russia

© Russian Foreign Ministry/TASS

MOSCOW, March 2. /TASS/. Crimea’s status as part of Russia is non-negotiable, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Al-Jazeera.

"Crimea is part of Russia and it’s non-negotiable," he emphasized.

After the February 2014 coup in Ukraine, the Crimean authorities held a referendum on reuniting with Russia. Most voters supported the idea (96.7% in Crimea and 95.6% in the city of Sevastopol), with turnout reaching 80%. In March 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the treaty on Crimea’s reunification with Russia, which was ratified by the Federal Assembly on March 21, 2014. However, Kiev refused to recognize Crimea’s independence and its decision to reunite with Russia.

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Crimea and Sevastopol Sergey Lavrov

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