MOSCOW, March 18. /ITAR-TASS/. At a concert on Moscow’s Red Square late on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin urged residents of Crimea and Sevastopol to work jointly with Russia on pressing tasks, expressing confidence that they would cope with them as they were now reunited.

“We have done a lot together, but we have even more to do, we have a lot of tasks facing us,” he said. “But I know, and I am sure that we will overcome and will solve everything as we are together,” the president added after several hours earlier a treaty was signed to make Crimea and Sevastopol part of Russia as two new constituent parts.

“Today is a joyful festive day,” the president said. “After a difficult and exhausting sailing, Crimea and Sevastopol are getting back to their home harbor, to their home shore, to their port of registration — Russia,” he said.

Putin thanked residents of Crimea and Sevastopol “for consistent and resolute position, for a clearly stated will to be together with Russia”. “We were worrying a lot about them; Russia answered them cordially, turned towards them opening its heart and soul,” the president said.

“We are seriously concerned about the developments in Ukraine, but I believe Ukraine will overcome all difficulties. We are not just neighbors, we are closest relatives, and our future success depends on us — both on Russia and on Ukraine,” the president added.

Putin marked the courage of residents of Sevastopol and Crimea, thanking them “for not betraying the memory of their ancestries, for carrying love for our Fatherland, Russia, through the years, through decades”.