GENEVA, October 4. /TASS/. Russia’s ambassador to Switzerland Sergey Garmonin on Tuesday was invited to the Swiss Foreign Ministry, where the Acting Head of the Eurasia Division Mirko Zambelli outlined his country's approaches in connection with the referendums in the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics, and the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. The Russian ambassador, in turn, briefed the Swiss diplomat on Russia’s stance, the press service of the Russian embassy in Bern told TASS.

During the conversation, Zambelli, referring to the communique of the Federal Council (Government) of Switzerland, dated September 23 and 30, "outlined Bern’s well-known approaches in connection with the held referendums" that preceded the signing of agreements on the admission of the DPR, the LPR and the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions to the Russian Federation, the press service said. "In response, Garmonin described in detail Russia’s position, contained Russian President Vladimir Putin’s speech at the ceremony of signing the relevant agreements on September 30," the embassy said. The Russian ambassador stressed that "the point at issue was the realization of the inalienable right of the population of these regions to self-determination, enshrined in Article 1 of the UN Charter and the declaration of the UN General Assembly of September 24, 1970."

Earlier, Switzerland, which supported the EU sanctions against Russia and was included in Russia’s list of unfriendly countries, announced its refusal to recognize the accession of the four new regions to Russia and condemned this step. In a statement released on September 30 the Swiss government called for the withdrawal of Russian troops from these regions.

On September 23 to 27 September, referendums on joining Russia were held in the DPR and LPR, as well as the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. A vast majority of residents were in favor of such a move. On September 30, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the heads of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics and the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions signed agreements on the accession of these regions to Russia.

Speaking at the ceremony of admitting the four new territories to the Russian Federation country, Putin said that the choice of the people in referendums in the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics and the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions was their inalienable right, enshrined in the UN Charter.