Russia is grateful to Aliaksandr Lukashenka for his stance on the Crimea issue, Russian Ambassador Aleksandr Surikov told reporters in Minsk on Thursday.
Mr Lukashenka has confirmed the fact that Crimea is now part of Russia, Mr Surikov said. Russia could not have ignored the opinion of residents of Crimea, who overwhelmingly voted in favor of reunion with Russia at a referendum on March 16, he stressed.
The entire international community should realize that any “assault on the territory” of Crimea after the enactment of a law on the reunification of Crimea and Sevastopol with Russia is “assault on the sovereignty of the Russian Federation,” Mr Surikov stressed.
“Unlike Ossetia, Abkhazia and so on, Crimea is not an independent state,” Mr Lukashenka told reporters on March 23. “Today Crimea is part of the Russian Federation. Now you cay recognize this fact or not, but this will change nothing.”
Ukrainian Ambassador Mykhailo Yezhel has been recalled to Kyiv for consultations over Mr Lukashenka’s remarks.
www.belsat.eu/en, via BelaPAN
