Sevastopol’s requests to join Russia

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On Tuesday, Vladimir Putin will make a statement on the address from the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol on their accession to the Russian Federation

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has informed the Russian parliament and government about suggestions of the State Council of the Republic of Crimea (Crimea's parliament) and of the Legislative Assembly of the city of Sevastopol on the Republic of Crimea’s, including the city of Sevastopol, accesion to the Russian Federation and on organization of new federal members of the Russian Federation, the Kremlin’s press service reports on Tuesday. On March 16, Crimea had a referendum on the peninsula’s future, where 96.77% of voters supported the republic’s accession to Russia. On Monday, Crimea’s Supreme Council announced the republic an independent state and addressed the Russian Federation asking to accept Crimea as a member of the federation with a status of a republic. Sevastopol’s municipal council also adopted a statement on acceding to Russia as a separate member of the federation - a city of the federal status. On Tuesday, Vladimir Putin will make a statement on the address from the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol on their accession to the Russian Federation. The Kremlin’s press service reports members of the State Duma, the Federation Council, regional leaders and representatives of the civil society are invited to the Kremlin by 15:00 Moscow time (GMT+4).

Procedure of accession to Russia Earlier, State Duma Speaker Sergey Naryshkin explained the order of accepting a new member of the Federation. “A foreign country addresses the Russian Federation asking to accede to the Russian Federation and entering a respective inter-state agreement. The Russian Federation’s president informs on it the Federation Council, the State Duma, the Russian government, and organizes consultations if necessary. As the inter-state agreement is signed, the Russian Federation’s president addresses the country’s Constitution Court asking to analyze compliance of the agreement with the Constitution of the Russian Federation.”

If the Constitution Court gives a positive assessment, a draft of the inter-state agreement along with the federal bill on the constitutional law, which offers the name of a new federal member, its status, borders, and transition terms, - are sent to the State Duma, Naryshkin said. “The draft of the inter-state agreement is presented for ratification, and the constitutional bill - for adopting,” he added. “If those two documents in the form of laws on ratification are adopted, a respective addendum is made to the Constitution’s Article 65,” Naryshkin said. That article lists the federation members of the Russian Federation. “In that case, there will be an addendum - the name or names of new members of the Russian Federation.” Naryshkin expressed confidence that the State Duma in discussing the “Crimean question” “will cope with the task promptly and responsibly.” On March 4, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin while answering questions from reporters stressed Russia did not have the intention to initiate accepting Crimea. “Only the people under conditions of freedom of expression and security may and should decide their future,” the president said.