MOSCOW, March 18. /ITAR-TASS/. Speaker of the Russian Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko says the Russian parliament will begin discussing immediately the issue of Crimea’s and Sevastopol’s joining Russia.

“I believe, we shall finalize all the legal procedures by the end of this week,” she told audience of Rossiya-24 television channel.

“We shall begin the ratification shortly,” deputy speaker of the State Duma Alexander Zhukov said in his turn. “It will take several days.”