ROME, October 3. /TASS/. Russian Ambassador to Italy Sergey Razov, summoned to the Italian Foreign Ministry on Monday, "categorically rejected statements made by the Italian side and voiced his own opinions" regarding the referendums "in the spirit of provisions in the speech" of President Vladimir Putin on September 30, the Russian Embassy in Rome wrote after the diplomat’s visit.

Secretary General of the Italian Foreign Ministry Ettore Francesco Sequi said that a protest had been lodged with the Russian side against the referendums on the accession of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, as well as the Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions to the Russian Federation. He noted that the Russian diplomat had been summoned to the office "as part of a common initiative of the EU countries". Sequi also expressed full support of his country for Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.

From September 23 to September 27, the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) as well as the Kherson Region and the Zaporozhye Region held a referendum where the majority of voters opted to join Russia.

On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the heads of the DPR and the LPR, the Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions signed treaties on their accession to Russia. In his speech at the signing ceremony, Putin called on Kiev to immediately cease hostilities and return to the negotiating table.

The president said that the people’s choice at the referendums on these territories was their inalienable right enshrined in the UN Charter.