Putin signs Crimea reunification documents
Iran Press TV
Fri Mar 21, 2014 1:38PM GMT
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law the documents officially making Crimea part of Russian territory.
Putin signed the bills at the Kremlin on Friday, completing the process of making Ukraine's strategic Black Sea region part of the Russian Federation.
The Russian president also signed legislation creating two new Russian administrative districts: Crimea and the port city of Sevastopol.
Before signing the bills into law, Putin hailed the integration of Crimea into Russia as a "remarkable event."
"I want to congratulate all citizens of the Russian Federation - residents of the whole country, Crimea and Sevastopol -- on what is, without any exaggeration, a banner event," he told a group of senior lawmakers and Russian officials on Friday.
The signing comes after Russia's upper and lower houses of parliament overwhelmingly put their stamp at rejoining of the Black Sea region to Russia.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has dismissed Western sanctions against Moscow over Crimea as "irrational" and "unlawful."
The Russian minister also lashed out the Western states for using the term "annexation" to refer to Crimea's reunion with Russia, adding that such a word is an "insult" to Crimeans who overwhelmingly voted in favor of rejoining Russia in last week's referendum.
Crimea's referendum on March 16 has drawn angry reactions from the US and the European Union, both imposing "punitive measures," including travel bans and assets freezes, against a number of Russian officials as well as authorities in Crimea.
MOS/AB
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