MOSCOW, March 19. /ITAR-TASS/. Crimea and the port city of Sevastopol, which are now parts of Russia, will receive the status of a republic and a city of federal significance, respectively, according to the draft federal constitutional law “On Adoption of the Republic of Crimea into Russia and the Formation of New Constituent Entities — the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, a city of federal significance, in the territory of Russia.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin submitted the bill for ratification to the Russian State Duma on Wednesday.

The names of the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol will be included in part 1 Article 65 of the Russian Constitution.

Under the Russian Constitution, amendments to Article 65 law that defines Russia’s territorial set-up will be included in the fundamental law on the basis of a federal constitutional law on adopting a new constituent entity into Russia and changing its constitutional and legal status.

The presidential bill says that Crimea joined Russia following the results of the March 16 referendum on Crimea’s status in which most people voted for Crimea’s re-unification with Russia with the rights of a constituent entity; the Declaration of Independence of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol as well as the Treaty for Crimea’s re-unification with Russia and the creation of two new constituent entities in its territory as well as the initiatives of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, a city of federal significance, to join Russia.

The bill says that the Republic of Crimea becomes part of Russia since the day the Treaty was signed.

The Republic of Crimea has three official state languages: Russian, Ukrainian and Tatar.