MOSCOW, July 3. /TASS/. Russia will be ready to welcome the visiting Belarusian president in Crimea, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a televised interview in the ‘Moscow. The Kremlin. Putin’ program, which excerpt was aired on Rossiya-24 channel on Saturday.

"Are we expecting the Belarusian president in Crimea? Of course, we are waiting," Peskov said.

After a government coup in Ukraine in February 2014 the authorities of Crimea and Sevastopol made a decision to hold a referendum on reunification with Russia. In the voting held on March 16 more than 80% of those eligible to cast their ballots took part. The unification with Russia was supported by 96.7% and 95.6% in Crimea and Sevastopol respectively. On March 18, the Russian president signed a treaty on the accession of the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol to the Russian Federation. On March 21, the treaty was ratified by the Federal Assembly. In defiance of the indisputable results of the referendum Kiev refused to recognize Crimea as part of Russia.

In April 2021, Peskov said that Belarus’ non-recognition of Crimea as part of Russia does not complicate the relations with Minsk. When asked whether the leaders discuss the matter of Crimea during their dialogue, the spokesman responded in the negative.