Western countries led by the United States will not be able to change the fact that Crimea has become part of Russia forever, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday, speaking on Krym-24 television channel on the occasion of the seventh anniversary of Crimea's reunification with the Russian Federation.
"The fate and future of Crimea are forever with Russia. Whether someone likes it or not. No actions of Western countries led by the United States can change this reality - neither from the international legal, nor from the political, nor from the moral point of view," Lavrov said.
He recalled that seven years ago the Crimean people expressed their support for the peninsula's incorporation into Russia "in full accordance with international law." "This form of realization of the right of peoples to self-determination enshrined in the UN Charter became the only way to protect the interests, dignity and lives of Crimeans against threats from nationalists and neo-Nazis who came to power in Kiev as a result of an unconstitutional armed coup," the head of the Russian diplomatic office added.
Lavrov promised that the Russian diplomacy would continue "to work vigorously to fix in the minds of foreign partners the realities associated with the return of the peninsula home."
Contacts with the peninsula
The intensity of international contacts at various levels with Crimea is growing, countries are showing more and more interest in interacting with the region, Lavrov said.
"It is gratifying that today there is a growing interest in the development of ties with Crimea in the world, which is visited by representatives of foreign socio-political, business, scientific, and parliamentary circles. They can see with their own eyes the commitment of its residents to the free choice made in March 2014," the minister said. - "And also how the reality differs from the descriptions sometimes flashed in the biased Western press. We will continue to encourage such contacts and exchanges".
After the reunification of Crimea and Sevastopol with Russia in 2014, Ukraine and Western countries imposed a number of sanctions against the Russian Federation, Russian businessmen and politicians, as well as foreign visitors and company representatives who visited Crimea. Any positive information about the peninsula is blocked, and the region is prevented from participating in international events abroad. Nevertheless, numerous foreign delegations still visit Crimea, participate in forums, congresses, scientific conferences, competitions and sports events, scientific work with Crimean and Sevastopol scientists is going on, business is developing and public relations are supported.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS