MOSCOW, September 22 /ITAR-TASS/. Russian State Duma Speaker Sergey Naryshkin on Monday criticized his Ukrainian counterpart Oleksandr Turchynov for intention to punish Ukrainian deputies who had visited the Russian State Duma. He described it as contradicting not only parliamentary traditions, but also law and morale.

“I only regret that the speaker of the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) could pronounce such words,” Naryshkin said, adding that the Russian State Duma would continue its contacts with Ukrainian deputies.

“We have always maintained and will continue maintaining contacts and cooperation with deputies of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada, with sober-minded and responsible Ukrainian deputies,” Naryshkin told journalists.

A delegation of 24 Ukrainian deputies paid a visit to the Russian State Duma last week. Turchynov has promised to punish them for their visit and ban their presence in the Ukrainian parliament. He claimed the visit had been informal and unauthorized by the Verkhovna Rada.