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Ambassador repeats Russia’s stance on referendums as he meets with senior Czech diplomat

From September 23 to September 27, the DPR and the LPR as well as the Kherson Region and the Zaporozhye Region held a referendum where the majority of voters opted to join Russia

PRAGUE, October 3. /TASS/. Russian Ambassador to the Czech Republic Alexander Zmeyevsky communicated Russia’s position on the referendums in the DPR, LPR and the Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions as he met on Monday with Czech Deputy Foreign Minister Jaroslav Kurfurst.

"Kurfurst verbally outlined Prague’s known position in connection with the referendums held in the DPR, LPR, Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions, which resulted in the signing of agreements on their admission to the Russian Federation," the embassy wrote on its Facebook page (a social media site banned in Russia since it is owned by Meta Corporation, which has been deemed extremist by Russia’s authorities).

"The subject matter of the Czech side's demarche was already voiced earlier by its representatives, it goes in line with the Euro-Atlantic policy accusing our country of ‘illegal annexation’ and non-recognition of the will of the residents of these regions, who made their historic choice. In response [Zmeyevsky] communicated the Russian position set forth in President Vladimir Putin's speech at a ceremony at the Kremlin's St George Hall on September 30, 2022, the text of which was sent in an embassy note to the Czech Foreign Ministry on October 1, 2022," the diplomatic mission said.

It was stressed at the meeting with the senior diplomat that through the referendums, the residents of the DPR, LPR, Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions exercised their inalienable right, enshrined in Article 1 of the UN Charter, which directly states the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples.

From September 23 to September 27, the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) as well as the Kherson Region and the Zaporozhye Region held a referendum where the majority of voters opted to join Russia.

On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the heads of the DPR and the LPR, the Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions signed treaties on their accession to Russia. In his speech at the signing ceremony, Putin called on Kiev to immediately cease hostilities and return to the negotiating table.

The president said that the people’s choice at the referendums on these territories was their inalienable right enshrined in the UN Charter.

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