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1 ПОСОЛЬСТВО РОССИЙСКОЙ ФЕДЕРАЦИИ В РЕСПУБЛИКЕ СЛОВЕНИИ VELEPOSLANIŠTVO RUSKE FEDERACIJE V REPUBLIKI SLOVENIJI Словения, 1000 Любляна, Томшичева 9 тел.: +386 (1) , факс Slovenija, 1000 Ljubljana, Tomšičeva 9 tel.: (01) , fax: (01) INFORMATION BULLETIN CONTENTS April 1, 2014 pg Press Office of the President of the Russian Federation Meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Ceremony signing the laws on admitting Crimea and Sevastopol to the Russian Federation Laws on admitting Crimea and Sevastopol to the Russian Federation Working meeting with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev Press Office of the Government of the Russian Federation Government meeting on supporting the socioeconomic development of Crimea and Sevastopol Dmitry Medvedev on the reunification of Crimea and Sevastopol with Russia 8 Press Office of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Comment by the Information and Press Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the voting on the draft resolution Territorial integrity of Ukraine in the UN General Assembly Comment by Konstantin Dolgov, the Russian Foreign Ministry s Commissioner for Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law, regarding new evidence of the functioning of Internet exchanges for the adoption of children from abroad by the United States Article of the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Russia s priority is to strengthen friendship and cooperation in Europe in the XXI century published in the anniversary edition of the European Club magazine Comment by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding statements by the official representative of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Statement by the Russian Delegation in relation to the statement made by the Ukrainian representative at the Nuclear Security Summit, Hague Speech by the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, at the Nuclear Security Summit, The Hague Answers to questions from the mass media by the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov summarizing the results of his participation in the extraordinary session of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Moscow

2 2 Press Office of the President of the Russian Federation Meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon March 20, 2014 Vladimir Putin had a meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA VLADIMIR PUTIN: Mr Secretary-General, colleagues, good afternoon, We are very happy to welcome you in the Moscow Kremlin. As you may know, Mr Secretary-General, as one of the founding nations of the United Nations, we have been constantly and consistently supporting the leading role of the United Nations Organisation in international affairs, and we value highly your efforts, Mr Secretary-General, in resolving possible, existing and earlier crises on our planet. Your role is very positive and efficient. We are happy to see you in Moscow, Mr Secretary-General! UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON: Mr President, it is a great honour and pleasure to visit Moscow so soon after my last visit to Sochi to participate in very successful Sochi Winter Olympic Games, and I would like to congratulate you on the very successful Sochi Winter Olympics as well as Paralympics. Russia has demonstrated great humanity at the Games. And thank you for welcoming me again at this time in Moscow so soon. I am very grateful for this opportunity of meeting you in person even though we have had some telephone talks to discuss the current situation. I really highly value this opportunity. As the Secretary-General of the United Nations, I cannot but tell you that I am deeply concerned about the current situation involving Ukraine and also Russia. Russia is one of the most important leadership countries not only in the United Nations and globally. I had a very good meeting with Foreign Minister [Sergei] Lavrov. < > Ceremony signing the laws on admitting Crimea and Sevastopol to the Russian Federation March 21, 2014 A ceremony signing the laws on admitting the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol to the Russian Federation took place at the Kremlin. PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA VLADIMIR PUTIN: Colleagues, This is a big and important event. We are completing today the legal procedures for admitting Crimea and Sevastopol to the Russian Federation. I want to thank the State Duma deputies and members of the Federation Council for their thorough and at the same time quick examination of these very important documents, ratifying the agreement on Crimea and Sevastopol s accession to the Russian Federation, and passing the Constitutional Law on admitting new constituent entities to the Russian Federation.

3 3 I congratulate all of you, all people of Russia and all residents of Crimea and Sevastopol on this occasion, which is with no exaggeration a momentous event. Ms Matviyenko, please, go ahead. SPEAKER OF THE FEDERATION COUNCIL VALENTINA MATVIYENKO: Mr President, colleagues, It is probably deeply symbolic that we are meeting here in the Catherine Hall, and on the spring equinox, which marks the turn towards the sun and the dawn. I think that Russia s people are full of just such sunny and celebratory feelings today at this reunification with our brothers in Crimea. 250 years ago, during the reign of Catherine the Great, the famed land of Taurida became part of Russia. Crimea s long history, which is filled with difficult times and tragic events, is a part of our history too. There were many attempts to take Crimea from Russia, many attempts to prevent Russia from having access to the Black Sea. The heroic defence of Sevastopol during the Crimean War and the city s immortal feat during the battle against Nazism are engraved forever in our history s chronicles. Crimea s recent history has been difficult too and has unfolded before our very eyes. Crimea s tragic history began not with the Kiev Maidan, but with Khrushchev s arbitrary decision, taken in violation of the Soviet Union s constitution. Crimea s drama continued a quarter of a century later with the Belavezha Accords. Already back in 1992, the people of Crimea wanted to hold a referendum but were unable to do so. Their 20 years of struggle have finally ended in success: they have held a referendum in which the region s peoples expressed their unanimous will. The historic event that we are witnessing today was made possible by this unanimous decision by the people of Crimea, and thanks to our President s firm resolve and the support from people throughout our whole country. Mr President, I want to inform you that the Federation Council unanimously passed two laws today that complete the legal procedure for Crimea s reunification with Russia. I think this is good reason to congratulate everyone, congratulate people in Crimea and in Russia on this exceptional victory and great historic event. Mr President, on Monday, the flags of our two new constituent entities will fly on the Federation Council building, together with the flags of our other regions, and a new map will be on display in the building, showing Crimea as part of our country. I hope that four senators from our two new constituent entities will also soon join us in the Federation Council. Mr President, thank you for your will and courage and for not giving in to any pressure. I hope that you felt our constant support over this time. SPEAKER OF THE STATE DUMA SERGEI NARYSHKIN: Mr President, colleagues, We are filled with genuine pride today at these historic events and decisions. Mr President, we are grateful to you for your firm stand that has reminded many that Russia s greatness lies not just in the past or in the future, but is with us in the present too. Many of the State Duma deputies visited Crimea over this last month and saw in the eyes of people there at first the hope and then the joy of having Russia s support. This support gave them

4 4 confidence and they made a clear and unambiguous choice to return to their homeland, and their homeland was waiting. The State Duma deputies understood the situation very clearly and understood the mood of people in Crimea and why they made such a resolute decision. Yesterday, to the sound of Russia s national anthem, State Duma deputies from all four parliamentary parties passed the law on ratifying the agreement to admit to the Russian Federation two new constituent entities and approved the federal constitutional law on this matter. It is perfectly clear to us that Russia and the people of Crimea acted in strict accordance with international law. Those who have doubts on this point should refresh their memories and read the United Nations Charter and other basic texts of international law. VALENTINA MATIVIYENKO: Excuse me, Mr President, but when deputies from the Crimea and Sevastopol legislative assemblies visited us, Nikolai Ryzhkov [a member of the Federation Council] said, We will never give you away anymore. Thank you. <...> VLADIMIR PUTIN: Colleagues, I have signed several executive orders today, including one on establishing a new federal district the Crimea Federal District, and have appointed Oleg Belaventsev Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the new federal district. We have a lot of work ahead to integrate Crimea into the Russian legal, economic and social systems. I discussed these issues yesterday with the Government and again today with the Security Council, and I ask the State Duma deputies and members of the Federation Council and the Federal Assembly as a whole to take an active part in this work and do everything within your power to ensure this process not only goes smoothly but benefits everyone in Russia and in Crimea. Thank you very much for this joint work. Laws on admitting Crimea and Sevastopol to the Russian Federation March 21, 2014 Vladimir Putin signed Federal Constitutional Law On Admitting to the Russian Federation the Republic of Crimea and Establishing within the Russian Federation the New Constituent Entities of the Republic of Crimea and the City of Federal Importance Sevastopol, and Federal Law On Ratifying the Agreement between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Crimea on Admitting to the Russian Federation the Republic of Crimea and Establishing within the Russian Federation New Constituent Entities. The Federal Constitutional Law is based on the result of a general referendum in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol on March 16, 2014, in which voters supported Crimea s reunification with Russia as a constituent entity of the Russian Federation. It is also based on the Declaration of Independence by the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, the Agreement between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Crimea on Admitting the Republic of Crimea to the Russian Federation and Establishing within the Russian Federation New Constituent Entities, and the proposal by the Republic of Crimea and special-status city of Sevastopol to join the Russian Federation.

5 5 Under the Federal Constitutional Law, the Republic of Crimea will join the Russian Federation and two new constituent entities are established: the Republic of Crimea and city of federal importance Sevastopol. The Federal Constitutional Law defines the borders of the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, recognises the granting of Russian Federation citizenship to citizens of Ukraine and stateless persons permanently resident in Crimea and Sevastopol, and also contains provisions on military service and conscription. A transitional period will be in effect from the day of Crimea s accession to the Russian Federation until January 1, This period will be used to organise the new constituent entities integration into Russia s economic, financial, banking and legal systems and into the Russian government system. Under the Federal Constitutional Law, Russian courts will be established in Crimea and Sevastopol. Rules and procedures have been set to ensure the functioning of the judicial and local government systems during the transitional period. Prosecutor s offices and chambers of notaries and lawyers will be established in Crimea and Sevastopol. * * * The Federal Law ratifies the Agreement between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Crimea on Admitting the Republic of Crimea to the Russian Federation and Establishing within the Russian Federation New Constituent Entities, signed in Moscow on March 18, March 27, 2014, Working meeting with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev Vladimir Putin had a working meeting with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. The Prime Minister informed the President of the upcoming Government resolutions regarding the procedures for paying salaries, pensions, social benefits and cash allowances to military service members and employees of law enforcement agencies in Crimea. According to the Prime Minister, decisions are to be made shortly regarding the development of a territorial executive authority network in the republic. * * * PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA VLADIMIR PUTIN: Mr Medvedev, we have already started discussing issues pertaining to the accession of Crimea and Sevastopol to Russia. We have been talking about it for a while, but time has come for practical measures. As you may know, the Defence and Interior Ministers, the Head of the Investigative Committee and the Director of the Federal Security Service have been there this week, working on developing a corresponding regional system of security agencies in Crimea and Sevastopol. However, the time has come to raise issues dealing with the development of the Crimean economy, with decision-making regarding governing structures and certain benefits that have to do with the region s development. I am confident that, given proper functioning of its economy, Crimea can and should become a self-sufficient and economically attractive area, rather than a recipient of federal aid. Clearly, we

6 6 need to finalise (I know the Government is already working on this) decisions on social matters dealing with pensions, compensation and salaries. PRIME MINISTER DMITRY MEDVEDEV: Mr President, on Monday we had a big meeting involving practically all Government members, where I set several tasks regarding Crimea and Sevastopol that must be resolved promptly within the framework of these agreements and the resolutions passed at a higher level. First of all this deals with the social sphere. This has to do with the people, and they are pinning great hopes on the accession to the Russian Federation. Therefore, in the very near term, our colleagues in the Government will make proposals and we will decide on the procedure to be used to pay pensions and social benefits, including those that used to be paid from the budget of Ukraine. We proceed from the notion that nobody should lose anything, everyone should only gain from the accession, with the introduction of a new procedure for salary payment both to civilian state employees, military service members and to employees of law enforcement agencies. We will make decisions on all social issues and will definitely make it known to the people in Crimea and Sevastopol. As for the administrative system: on your instructions, the Government is working to develop a territorial executive authority network. Our objective is to create a reasonable and sufficient number of such bodies of authority, without overcomplicating the system, but also making sure that all territorial authorities are properly represented there. We will make these decisions in the next few days. Regarding economic development: of course, the economy of Crimea is not as developed now as it could be. I fully agree that potentially Crimea can generate significant revenue that will be channelled into the region s development. We are using all possible instruments to achieve this, including tax benefits, which are currently under consideration, and the possibility of creating a special economic zone. Relevant instructions have been given and I will be hearing a report on the proposals shortly. Subsequently, the Government will make a report to the President. VLADIMIR PUTIN: Thank you. <...> Press Office of the Government of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev on the reunification of Crimea and Sevastopol with Russia 21 March 2014 Dmitry Medvedev: Today, the Russian Federation made the necessary decisions on reunification with Crimea and Sevastopol. The head of state has presented a political and legal review of the motives for the reintegration of traditional Russian regions into modern Russia. As Prime Minister and Chairman of the United Russia party, I would like to note several other points. Today, the Russian Federation made the necessary decisions on reunification with Crimea and Sevastopol. These decisions have been approved by the Federal Assembly and President Vladimir Putin under the standard procedures. It was not easy to take these decisions.

7 7 In his state of the nation address, the head of state presented an accurate and, at the same time, emotional political and legal review of the motives for the reintegration of traditional Russian regions into modern Russia. This review requires no comment. Therefore, as Prime Minister and Chairman of the United Russia party, I would like to note several other points. First, the crisis in Ukraine, which can hardly be called a coincidence, is causing the most negative emotions in all of us. The political impotence of the government, the personal weakness and hesitant behaviour of President Yanukovych have doomed the people of Ukraine to great suffering. The people who took to the streets had a right to protest peacefully against corruption and arbitrary rule. But this does not justify the unacceptable seizing of power through armed rebellion, through violence and murder. Yanukovych did not resign under legitimate procedures. And this means that he remains the legitimate president, one who was forcibly deprived of power. And everyone should understand this, including the Euromaidan leaders that have now joined the Ukrainian Government and the Verkhovna Rada, other political functionaries in Kiev and our Western partners. The new government is not legitimate. And worst of all it has no real leverage for influencing current events. Various radicals, militants and gangsters have seized power, and it is they who are making the final decisions. And it appears that they will continue to make decisions after 25 May. They find it pointless to share their authority. They rule the streets, and they control the entrances to administrative buildings. And this is extremely dangerous. This administrative style will inevitably cause the Ukrainian state to collapse. This situation has also pre-determined the absence of normal relations between the leaders of our two countries, although we still maintain working contacts. Second, the people of Crimea, including the Russians, Ukrainians and Tatars, voiced their position in the referendum. The referendum and its decisions are history. Now it s important to think about development within current political and legal realities. This concerns everyone, including the so-called new government in Kiev, Western leaders, Russia as a whole and its new territories. We do not want to aggravate the situation. On the contrary, friendly relations with Ukraine and other neighbouring countries is our goal. And of course we need to ensure the harmonious development of Crimea and Sevastopol as part of our state. This is a key Government task. We will do everything possible to ensure the socioeconomic development of our country and its new regions. On Monday, I plan to chair a meeting with the Government members, and we ll discuss priority steps to improve life in Crimea and Sevastopol. The Government will have to implement important projects now that the people of Crimea have voted to join Russia in the referendum. We are counting on a respectful attitude towards the will of our people and towards the direction the Russian Federation has taken. And third, countries, nations and entire continents have faced very difficult situations throughout their history. I recall vividly the August of 2008 when I had to make a decision on using the Russian Armed Forces on the territory of a foreign state. After that, we recognised the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Those were difficult decisions. But subsequent developments have proven that there was no other way. At that time, the international community also began to discuss various options for building relations with Russia. And it should be admitted that all of our partners managed to find a well-balanced approach for dealing with Russia at that time, albeit with difficulty. This resulted in sustained international development in the years since then, including our efforts to overcome the global economic crisis in the G20 format, to resolve security issues and to solve regional problems. I hope that common sense will also triumph with this situation. It is impossible to punish Russia, but it is possible to establish proper relations with Russia.

8 8 Government meeting on supporting the socioeconomic development of Crimea and Sevastopol 24 March 2014 Dmitry Medvedev: We should consider concrete, consistent and reasonable moves towards the comprehensive integration of Crimea and Sevastopol into the Russian state, economic and legal framework, so that Crimeans will have the same opportunities, rights and guarantees as all other Russian citizens. Government meeting on supporting the socioeconomic development of Crimea and Sevastopol Dmitry Medvedev: We are meeting today to discuss a very important issue, an issue that has been top news in recent days. We are here to discuss the socioeconomic development of new Russian regions, namely the Republic of Crimea and the federal city of Sevastopol. We need to consider practical, consistent and reasonable moves towards the comprehensive integration of Crimea and Sevastopol into the state, economic and legal framework of Russia, so that these new regions will become part of the country politically and legally, but also in terms of living standards. Crimeans must have the same opportunities, rights and guarantees as all other Russian citizens. They must feel that they are an integral part of a large, strong and reliable country. I m sure that this is what they wanted when they made their historic choice. All deputy prime ministers, ministers and other officials present here, the ministries and bodies of federal executive authority of which they are in charge, will be fully responsible within the sphere of their competence for the situation in Crimea. This is why all ministries and agencies are to prepare without delay and present their action plans for the period until the end of this year. Now to the tasks facing us: The priority task is to streamline the system of state authority in the new regions in accordance with the President s instruction. Crimea has operating bodies of power, but we need to quickly readjust them to Russian standards without stopping their operation and, most importantly, without affecting their quality. Tomorrow all ministries and agencies are to adopt decisions on establishing their territorial offices in Crimea on the same principles as in other Russian regions. It is logical that they will be established on the basis of comparable existing agencies of the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. Moreover, employees should be quickly retrained in accordance with federal regulations and should familiarise themselves with Russian legislation. I d like to draw your attention to one more requirement: The regional agencies should be compact. We must not allow the creation of new and unsubstantiated bureaucratic bodies. We have discussed this before.we could conduct a number of clever managerial experiments to test new technologies in Crimea and Sevastopol for subsequent application elsewhere in the Russian Federation. To an even greater extent, this concerns law enforcement and the judiciary. Maintaining law and order in the transitional period is of immense importance, particularly in view of possible provocations on the part of various radicals. The Russian Academy of National Economy will handle on-the-job training of employees in Crimea, and it is very important to establish close personal contacts with our colleagues on the ground. I hope everyone will do this; many are already in direct contact. We need to support them psychologically, and help create the right kind of working atmosphere.

9 9 Dmitry Medvedev: "The Russian Academy of National Economy will handle on-the-job training of employees in Crimea, and it is very important to establish close personal contacts with our colleagues on the ground." Crimean residents obtaining Russian nationality is of huge importance as well. The Russian Migration Service is planning to complete the issue of Russian passports for everyone who wishes to have one before the start of summer. The next set of priorities is related to how we ensure normal everyday life in Crimea. In the first place, we should retain the ability to maintain an unimpeded movement of commodities across the new Russian border. Problems crop up now and then in this regard, and therefore the situation needs to be monitored closely. This also goes for trade between Crimea and Ukraine, which is essential for the Crimean economy (so far, at any rate) and to Crimean exports to other countries. This is the job of the Federal Customs Service and the Border Service. It is also necessary to deal with technical issues involved in Crimea s entry into the rouble zone and the licensing of local banks. The rouble is already the official currency, while the hryvna will be in circulation until late I would like to note in particular that the payment of salaries to government employees as well as pensions and allowances will be at the rouble-tohryvna exchange rate as it stood on 18 March at the moment of accession. Right now there are problems with cashless transfers, which many businesses for the time being have to make in hryvnas. And, of course, there is still the risk of various unfriendly acts on the part of Ukrainian financial agencies. Later today I hope to hear proposals on how to secure Crimean residents financial assets under the circumstances. Roads and communications are of key importance for maintaining our country s territorial, cultural and information unity. This is the main thing for Crimea as well. Its reliable communication with Russia and its sustained economic development should be secured by a modern transport and communication infrastructure. A major project of this kind is the building of a transport link across the Kerch Strait. As you know, the Government has issued a directive to conduct a feasibility study. We could also use earlier studies related to the technical aspects of this project, but in any event the design should provide for both rail and motor communication. We know that the local geological and hydrological conditions are far from easy, but specialists have been instructed to come up with an optimal solution before the end of this year. The Ministry of Transport is handling the project. Of course, Crimea s port and airport capacities should be expanded, including by introducing additional maritime high-speed boat service and inter-regional air flights. I would like the Ministry of Transport to keep an eye on this too. We must have Rostelecom and its subsidiaries come to Crimea as soon as possible. We cannot tolerate a situation in which sensitive information and documents related to the administration of the two constituent entities of the Russian Federation are relayed by foreign telecommunications companies. This must be terminated. We should do all we can to have our own resources in the region. I refer this to the Ministry of Communications. Yet another infrastructure problem is Crimea s dependence on Ukrainian power and water supplies. This dependence periodically makes itself felt, including last night.it is necessary to settle this issue at international talks but we must choose the best option for supplying the peninsula. For instance, Crimea could be connected to Russia s unified power grid via the Kerch Strait Bridge, or by building its own electricity generation facilities on the peninsula. We must weigh

10 10 these options fairly quickly, and we have good potential in this respect. Anyway, we must resolve this task in the near future and also increase gas output by times. According to experts, this will be enough to cover Crimea s electricity requirements. I understand Gazprom has an initiative on this score. The Energy Ministry should weigh all this and in general should continuously monitor everything that is happening in Crimea. I d like to draw the attention of the Energy Minister to this. Now this is our headache, because this is our territory and our regions. This is why I d like you to make decisions with an eye to the future. The Minister will say a few words on this score today. All these issues are linked with the development of the Crimean economy. Many analysts agree that Crimea may turn from a subsidised into a donor region, all the more so since it has developed industry and trade. However, we must help Crimea with supplies of spare parts and raw materials and with marketing so that its plants and factories continue operating without cutting down the number of jobs. Agriculture, in particular, grain and wine growing, play a major role in the Crimean economy. Grain harvesting will soon start on the peninsula. It is common knowledge that Crimea has never had proper equipment of its own and is still short of it. I d like to hear what we can do to help it, and I expect the Ministry of Agriculture to make a report on this score. We should also think about how Crimea can use national support mechanisms for agricultural producers. In general, we should include them into our support system. It is not ideal but it is operating and it is certainly better than anything Crimea has had before. This is absolutely the case. There is one more urgent issue. We must make the most of Crimea s tourism opportunities. We must do all we can in this regard. We ve already taken a number of measures to allow our citizens to take a vacation in Russia s Crimea this season. I also hope to hear how the state will support citizens who have chosen to spend their vacations in Crimea. I m referring to special travel costs, in particular a low-cost airline. So, the Ministry of Culture and our national carrier Aeroflot should deal with this. I will give you the floor for a number of brief reports. One more important issue is re-registration of property, including land and real estate. Rosreestr (the Federal Service for State Registration, Cadastre and Cartography) should establish a subsidiary in Crimea to address this issue. It should act carefully on this sensitive issue so as not to damage Crimea s business climate and investment appeal. But it must conduct this work, because without a correctly registered property title it is impossible to carry out a single investment project. I d like to emphasise the importance of supporting small- and medium-sized companies. Many of them are operating in the shadows now. It is necessary to start issuing licenses for business activities without delay. It's clear that we cannot do without different support mechanisms. I ll come back to this issue but we should obviously think about the drafting of rules that will give tax benefits to companies that are paying taxes in Crimea during the transitional period. I m referring to companies that are operating and paying taxes in Crimea and are now within Russian jurisdiction. It is essential to stabilise the economy and infrastructure, but the social component is no less important. It may even be more important for the vast majority of the population. One of the Government s current priorities is care for pensioners, veterans, children and people with disabilities who are now living in the two new regions of the Russian Federation. According to our Constitution, Russia is a social state and now all of its social commitments also apply to the residents of Crimea and Sevastopol. This will require additional expenditures and the launching of modernisation projects in several spheres at once.

11 11 I d like to emphasise for my Government colleagues and the residents of the two new regions that it is also necessary to preserve all social benefits and payments that existed in Crimea and Sevastopol as of the reunification date 18 March of this year if they were absent in the Russian legislation. I d like to hear your proposals on this score. Not a single person should lose anything. Now a few words about the pension system. The number of pensioners in Russia has increased by 677,000 people, including 117,000 (practically 118,000) in Sevastopol. Social services have already done part of the work on stable pension payments. Now the priority task is to increase pensions for the residents of the two new regions to the national average. According to tentative estimates, it will be necessary to allocate about 36 billion roubles for this purpose before the end of the year. Our budget has the funds for this. They have been planned. The schedule for raising pensions should be drafted in the near future with a view to preventing inflation. I m referring to the fact that Russian pensions are much bigger than Ukrainian ones.we should also think about this, so that this will not impair the financial standing of other Crimea residents. I will notify you regarding this timeframe in advance. The territorial divisions of the Pension Fund and the Social Insurance Fund will be established in the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol until 1 January Although the Ukrainian pension system differs from the Russian system, I want to stress once again that there should be no setbacks during the transition to Russian legislation in this area. We have to accomplish another major objective and raise the salaries of Crimean public sector employees to the average Russian levels. First of all, this concerns teachers, medical personnel, and cultural workers. This should also be achieved as soon as possible. I would also like to note that we will compile a separate timeframe for raising these salaries. I will determine this timeframe, and I will tell all of the concerned officials. Dmitry Medvedev: "We have to accomplish another major objective and raise the salaries of Crimean public sector employees to the average Russian levels. First of all, this concerns teachers, medical personnel, and cultural workers." Healthcare is our next issue, which has major significance for the life of our people. Crimea seriously lags behind in terms of equipment levels and information infrastructure in this area. There are problems with rendering high-tech medical assistance, modern equipment is in short supply and there is no medical insurance system. In this connection, we need to integrate the Crimean healthcare system with the Russian healthcare system, and, of course, we should see to it that the compulsory medical insurance system begins functioning from 1 January But we should already start providing affordable and high-quality medical assistance to Crimean residents in line with the state guarantees programme for providing free medical assistance. As this calls for investment and preparatory work, and, considering the fact that this is a difficult task (it takes a lot of time to resolve this task all over Russia, and this does not happen as quickly, as all of us probably want), I believe that Russian regions will not shy away from the problems of the new regions. For instance, Moscow and Sevastopol have already agreed on the delivery of new medical equipment that will help modernise the healthcare system in Sevastopol. I hope that other Russian regions that can provide similar assistance will act likewise. We need to improve the Crimean healthcare sector. The educational system will also be transformed. I know that the Ministry of Education and Science is already working actively on this. It will take several years to complete this process, but special conditions will be created for Crimean school students during the transitional period. They will not have to take the 2014 Unified State Exam, and they will be able to enroll in Russian universities based on individual school exam scores, just like generations of Russian

12 12 school students did in the past. But those wishing to take the Unified State Exam should be able to do so at specialised facilities. Crimean first-grade schoolchildren will begin to study in line with Russian educational standards on 1 September We have very little time for preparations. We have to conduct large-scale work, and I expect that the Ministry of Education and Science submit its proposals on organising this work. Of course, against the backdrop of all of these current problems that I have listed, we also need to think about long-term Crimean development prospects. To be honest, this is why I have invited all of you because urgent instructions can be issued in a different way. We will have to provide the new regions with additional preferences, and I have already mentioned one tax exemption measure. I also consider it possible to examine the issue of establishing a special economic zone in Crimea. And, finally, all of us should jointly create a correct financial and economic instrument to develop Crimea and Sevastopol. Before the end of the first six-month period, the federal targeted programme for the peninsula s socioeconomic development should be submitted. I want to underscore that this should be a full-fledged programme with specific funding, deadlines, project managers, and executors. In the future, the federal targeted programme could be converted into a state programme. Ladies and gentlemen, the Government will have to accomplish this large-scale, multifaceted objective for the first time in history. The deadlines are very short. The transitional period will last until 1 January 2015, and our working conditions are quite tough. Nevertheless, we have to act quickly, timely, and efficiently. And, of course, this should not be done to the detriment of our other objectives, and the whole country is standing behind us. However, this is a good reason to demonstrate the potential of the modern Russian state and our managerial skills. Dmitry Medvedev: "I decided that Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak would oversee the Crimean issue, while allotting specific duties and powers. The relevant group was established together with our colleagues, and they are already addressing this issue. A state commission dealing with these goals will be established in the near future. Nevertheless, all ministries and departments should exert maximum efforts, while working together with the commissions and independently." Some time ago, I decided that Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak would oversee the Crimean issue, while allotting specific duties and powers. The relevant group was established together with our colleagues, and they are already addressing this issue. A state commission dealing with these goals will be established in the near future. Nevertheless, all ministries and departments should exert maximum efforts, while working together with the commissions and independently. I would like to stress again that this is quite difficult, even if we compare this project with the Olympic Games megaproject But this is not a megaproject. This is part of our country. I am counting on your professionalism and competence. And, finally, all of us will meet again seven days later, and we will discuss specific results of fulfilling instructions and proposals as regards Crimea s development. I will now give the floor to Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak who will make a brief report. Afterwards, we will discuss specific issues. <...> * * *

13 13 Briefing by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak after a meeting on the socioeconomic development of Crimea and Sevastopol Transcript: Question: Good afternoon Mr Kozak. Please explain to us the following: the Prime Minister said today that a special economic zone and a federal targeted programme can be adopted for Crimea. Let s start with the programme. Have you made at least a tentative plan? We know that a working group on Crimea has had a meeting. How much investment is necessary in Crimea, and how much money can be allocated from the budget? Regarding the special economic zone, do you know the period for which it will be created? When will this be done, and what will the purpose of this zone be? Will there be tax concessions? Dmitry Kozak: The answer for both issues is clear-cut. On 21 March, the Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol became component parts of the Russian Federation. We started working [on the above issues] the same day. We have only developed general proposals on the federal targeted programme and the special economic zone as the instruments of governance, budget planning and economic stimulation. We understand what these instruments should be like, but we have not yet determined the specific financial and physical parameters of the federal targeted programme or the special economic zone. This task, meaning the deadline, general provisions and also proposals on the parameters of the special economic zone, is to be fulfilled by 15 April. This is our task. The federal targeted programme must be presented in detail by 1 July. This is a very short time for taking such concrete decisions in Russia, but we will do it, and when we do it we ll explain it to you. Today I cannot give you a single figure or name a single tax incentive. Question: Do you worry that sanctions might apply to you now that you have been put in charge of the Crimea development commission? Dmitry Kozak: The decision has been made, and I have accepted it, which means that I m not worried. It is my personal assignment, because I m responsible for the socioeconomic development of all Russian regions. From 21 March 2014, [Crimea and Sevastopol are] Russian regions. Question: Good afternoon Mr Kozak. Interfax. The Prime Minister mentioned the issue of air transport today. Did you discuss subsidising tickets for Crimea just as flights from the Russian Far East and Kaliningrad are subsidised? Dmitry Kozak: Yes we did. We discussed it at the Friday meeting that I chaired, and at today s meeting chaired by the Prime Minister. We need at least a short time to analyse it thoroughly. In this case, the deadline is 5 April. We must provide our calculations and substantiation by 5 April. Decisions must be taken with regard to the special economic zone, the federal targeted programme, and the subsidising of passenger transport with due regard for the task of the accelerated socioeconomic development of this new Russian region and the need to help its social and economic sectors during and after the transition period, but also taking into account the financial opportunities of the federal budget. Question: Power failures have been reported in Crimea. What is being done to resolve this problem? And what will be done to prevent this from happening again? Dmitry Kozak: Power has been restored in Crimea. As for preventing this from happening again... First, we are negotiating with the leaders of Ukraine s power supply system. Second, we are implementing a crisis management plan, and we have also drafted, approved and are

14 14 implementing an emergency electricity supply plan, primarily for vital infrastructure and social facilities. It was partially enacted last night. Question: What additional equipment are you using? Have you moved some of it from Sochi? Dmitry Kozak: We are using diesel generators, including those that ensured a reliable electricity supply during the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Question: The day before yesterday, Rustam Temirgaliyev said that two gas-fuelled power plants would be built in Crimea within three to five years, one of them in the north and the other near Kerch. Can you confirm this information? Dmitry Kozak: No. It was a proposal by the Crimean Deputy Prime Minister, which we are analysing now. A decision will be made only after we complete the feasibility study and assess the possible consequences and variants for ensuring reliable electricity supply in Crimea. So far, no decisions have been made on this issue, even though it is critically important and brooks no delay. We must find an optimal solution in terms of cost and implementation deadlines. Question: One more question, about Russian tourists in Crimea. It was said that Russian agencies and government-owned companies will send their employees to Crimea for recreation. It has also been said that the Culture Ministry and Sberbank would do this. Can you tell us if these organisations will send their employees to Crimea for recreation or not? What other companies are planning to do this? Dmitry Kozak: It s correct that we have appealed to Russian businesses, primarily those that work in the northern regions, and also to the agencies that sell vouchers to Russian health and recreation resorts to focus on Crimea. The health and recreation business is one of the key economic sectors on the peninsula, and we certainly want these travel agencies to redirect their attention from Turkey and Cyprus to Crimea, which is especially important now, during the transition period when the political situation around Crimea is so complicated. Yes, we have made the appeal, and we will continue to work on this. Also, a concrete action plan, a roadmap on the development of Crimean health and recreation resorts is to be approved by 5 April. Question: I have two questions. First, electricity was turned off for several hours last night. The Ukrainian authorities have announced Dmitry Kozak: We have discussed this. Question: Can this happen again? Are we ready for it? What will you do if Kiev decides to cut electricity in Crimea? My second question: The Transnistrian authorities have appealed to Russia to consider the region s incorporation into Russia. Have you discussed this issue? Dmitry Kozak: Personally, I have not attended any meetings that included this. As for power supply, I d like to say that we are ready for power failure emergencies. Also, such emergencies would be bad for Ukraine s electricity system economically and technically. I pin my hopes on their common sense. Why punish ordinary people by cutting off electricity? Next time we ll talk longer. Thank you.

15 15 Press Office of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Comment by the Information and Press Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the voting on the draft resolution Territorial integrity of Ukraine in the UN General Assembly March 28, 2014 On the 27 March there was a plenary session in the UN General Assembly, within the framework of which the draft UNGA resolution Territorial integrity of Ukraine, proposed by the Ukrainian delegation jointly with several co-authors, was reviewed. As in the case of the draft UN Security Council resolution which was not adopted on the 15 March, its main element is an appeal to UN member states not to acknowledge the results of the successfully exercised legal right to self-determination of the Crimeans. We cannot but regret that insistence, which deserves better application, with which the Kiev authorities and foreign advocates representing them attempt to distort the nature of the worrying processes taking place in Ukraine. The entire potential of the propagandistic machine of cold war times has been used to overshadow the fact of the deepest internal political crisis in Ukraine and to shift responsibility for the escalation of tensions to the Russian Federation. The results of gross interference by several western countries inukrainian affairs are evident: anticonstitutional change of power in Kiev, breakdown of the system of state order, including at regional and local level, incapacity of law enforcement bodies, outrages by extremists and fascists, massive violations of human rights, threats to the security of national and language minorities, further aggravation of the social and economic situation. A wide dispersion of positions of UN member states, a large number of abstained states or those who were not present at the voting, were an eloquent testimony that they do not accept the unilateral interpretation of events in Ukraine. At the same time, it is known what shameless pressure up to political blackmailing and economic threats was applied on several member states to make them vote for this resolution. The counter-productive initiative with the resolution of the General Assembly will only complicate cooperation for the purposes of settlement of the internal political crisis in Ukraine. We appeal to constructively disposed and independently thinking participants of the international community to target their efforts on real contribution to the stabilisation of the situation in this country and to show respect for the results of the free will of the Crimean population, which has already played its historical role and it is pointless disputing this. Comment by Konstantin Dolgov, the Russian Foreign Ministry s Commissioner for Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law, regarding new evidence of the functioning of Internet exchanges for the adoption of children from abroad by the United States March 27, 2014 The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has attentively studied new material recently published by Reuters News Agency about further evidence of abuse of children adopted from abroad by US parents. In particular, journalists have uncovered the outrageous story of a Haitian girl, Nita Dittenber, who was forced to change four foster families in the United States in four years. According to the Reuters material, her parents have been getting rid of her like something you no longer need, using electronic exchanges, which functionin the US segment of the Internet. We are deeply concerned about the evidence of journalists that some foster families abused Nita Dittenber, including sexually. Now she is in an orphan s home for troubled teenagers,

16 16 because she has been given up by her parents yet again. To be noted, her initial adopters were not punished in any way for the devastation of her fate. This story, which was opened up by journalists and the human rights community, is further evidence of the large-scale problem of the impunity of US parents, when they manipulate and abuse adopted children. According to journalists, up to 25 foreign adoptions in the United States end unsuccessfully and the foster parents give up their children, including by using specialised Internet communities. Among them there is a notorious Ranch for Kids, where, according to our information, there are Russian children, who have been surrendered by their foster parents. Despite our multiple applications to the United States, including within the ambit of the Russian Embassy in the United States, Washington refuses to provide information about the Russian children, who have suffered as a result of the manipulation of electronic exchanges (Reuters earlier reported on at least 26 such cases). Moreover, the US authorities have not done anything to ensure the welfare of Russians whose adoption was in fact stopped with the grossest violations of established procedures. We request that the US take effective measures to clarify all the circumstances of violation of the rights of Russian children, who were adopted by US nationals and readopted through internet exchanges. Those who are guilty of abuse and cruelty against them must be punished. Article of the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Russia s priority is to strengthen friendship and cooperation in Europe in the XXI century published in the anniversary edition of the European Club magazine March 27, 2014 I am very pleased with an opportunity to address the readers of the Russian parliamentary European Club magazine s anniversary edition. The Russian parliamentary European Club makes a useful contribution to the noble cause of enhancing broad and constructive cooperation on our continent. The 20th century was the time of numerous shocks for Europe, among them the catastrophes of the two World Wars the related anniversaries are being celebrated this year. Those tragic events vividly demonstrate what being sure of one s exceptionality, as well as trying to strengthen one s security and advance one s interests at the expense of others can lead to. It would seem that having learnt from history, our continent should embrace the path of mutually beneficial cooperation and sustainable development in the interests of this generation and the ones to follow. All the more so, as the ideological differences that were dividing Europe in the 20th century are now a thing of the past their symbol, the Berlin Wall, was demolished a full quarter of a century ago. However, the Cold War legacy has not yet been overcome, the task of destroying the dividing lines in Europe is still far from being reached. Our Western partners keep trying to divide the European countries into "friendly" and "hostile" and give them the false choice of "with us or against us", as has been clearly illustrated by the situation in Ukraine. The visa barriers have still not been lifted. The aims to create a common space of peace, security and stability in the Euro- Atlantic region, set by the OSCE and the Russia-NATO Council, have not been achieved. At the same time, Europe is no longer the centre of global policy-making, and thus it should take into account the rise of other loci of power and influence and hold its ground in competition. It is evident that the only way to secure a rightful place for the "old continent" in a new international system is through creating synergy of all countries situated on it, which would give a strong impetus to their development and strengthen their positions in the international arena.

17 17 In this context, the relations between the Russian Federation and the European Union two major actors in the European space have become even more important. We have made considerable progress over the last two decades. We have reached an agreement on the establishment of four common spaces. In 2012, mutual trade grew to a record level of USD 410 billion, and there are reasons to believe that the rates of the last year may turn out to be even higher. Our country is the leading supplier of hydrocarbons to the EU market. Russia and the EU cooperate closely in the field of investments and implement mutually beneficial projects in the areas of innovations, science and technology under the Partnership for Modernization joint initiative. Unprecedented steps have been taken to promote people-to-people contacts. However, the qualitative breakthrough in our relations is still hindered by the stereotypes of the past era of confrontation. It is important for us to understand whether our EU partners are ready, not in word, but in deed, to adhere to the principles of equality, mutual respect and mutual accommodation of interests. Historical experience has demonstrated that attempts to isolate Russia led to severe consequences for entire Europe and, on the contrary, that active engagement of our country in the affairs on the continent was accompanied by long periods of peace and development. We believe that Russia and the European Union have reached such a point at which efforts to deepen interactions are in a deadlock lacking clearly defined strategic objectives. Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, launched an initiative to gradually harmonize European and Eurasian integration with a view to establishing a common economic and humanitarian space from the Atlantic to the Pacific. We have all that is necessary to reach this ambitious goal, including shared evolutionary and cultural roots, a high degree of convergence between our economies, commitment to a single set of trade rules based on WTO standards, need to pursue new sources of growth and innovation-driven development. It is clear that a completely new level of cooperation between Russia and the European Union can hardly be imagined without a very strong engagement of European civil society. In this context, we cannot overstate the role of parliamentary and civil society organisations of Russia and the EU Member States in strengthening our strategic partnership, building up trust and mutual understanding between peoples and expanding humanitarian ties and contacts. The parliamentary diplomacy potential is in great demand, including within the OSCE and the Council of Europe the Parliamentary Assemblies of these organizations provide important fora towards developing European cooperation based on shared values and standards. In order to realize their full potential, it is necessary to abandon attempts to use them as a tool for implementing the policy of certain groups of states and to aim their activities at dealing with truly important tasks related to building a common European house. Mechanisms for interparliamentary dialogue should be used more actively to strengthen cultural, humanitarian and educational ties and to find effective solutions to problems such as large-scale noncitizenship, uncontrolled migration, drug trafficking, extremism, nationalism, intolerance, and discrimination. Considerable support in dealing with these tasks is provided by the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee which discusses key aspects of bilateral relations in a constructive and businesslike manner. We are satisfied to note that civil society is being actively involved in the interpretation of the processes that are underway in Europe. Civil society organizations activities contribute greatly to the humanitarian, cultural and economic convergence of European people, to the fight against neo-nazism, xenophobia and the attempts to falsify history, including that of World War II. The freedom and variety of forms of communication between NGOs often help to have a broader

18 18 view of problems than traditional diplomacy allows. The possibility to have an informal discussion of all issues, even the most pressing ones, is really important, in particular for the multidimensional relations that exist between Russia and the European Union. We believe that enhanced cooperation between civil societies will facilitate the removal of visa barriers on the continent in the near future. Being an apparent anachronism, visas impede further development of commercial, economic and cultural ties, as well as people-to-people contacts which are a necessary precondition for building Greater Europe without dividing lines. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in close cooperation with the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and many Russian NGOs seeks to support the initiatives put forward by public diplomacy. In the last several years, a number of steps have been undertaken in this regard, namely the establishment of the Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund and the Russian International Affairs Council. These entities are intended to promote an effective foreign policy dialogue between state agencies and civil society. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the European Club on its anniversary and to wish every success in building confidence in Europe. Comment by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding statements by the official representative of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs March 26, 2014 The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is surprised at the irresponsible and unjustified statement by the official representative of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Yevgeny Perebiynis, regarding the alleged growth of xenophobic moods in Russia. The facts, which he provided as examples, are not proven. Kiev is attempting to unfairly shift the blame again. To be noted, unlike Ukrainian right radical forces, who march openly in Ukrainian cities bearing fascist symbols, worship Bandera and other supporters of Nazism, and besmear monuments to Soviet warriors-liberators, Russia is preparing to ceremonially celebrate 70 years of liberation from German fascist invaders, in particular, the liberation of Odessa, Kerch, Sevastopol Simferopol and other cities, in the near future. Kiev appears to have other priorities. Moscow has continued to gather and systematise numerous facts of the grossest violations of the rights of the Russian-speaking population and representatives of other Ukrainian ethnic communities by home-made ultranationalists and neo-nazis. This information will be publicised in the near future. Statement by the Russian Delegation in relation to the statement made by the Ukrainian representative at the Nuclear Security Summit, Hague March 25, 2014 In connection with yesterday's statement made by the Ukrainian delegate, the Russian delegation deems it necessary to state the following. First of all, we have to draw everyone's attention to the fact of a gross violation by the Ukrainian representative of the agenda of the respected international forum dedicated to one of the most urgent contemporary problems - strengthening nuclear security. Now, let us take a look at the substance of the assertions made by the Ukrainian representative. Kiev authorities' representative claimed that Russia allegedly violates its commitments under the Budapest Memorandum in what relates to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. We can

19 19 not accept it whatsoever. The government in Kiev, which came to power following the unconstitutional coup, essentially undermined Ukraine's unity itself by its policies, most notably towards national minorities. The coup inflicted a huge blow on Ukraine's sovereignty. In those conditions, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea could not continue to be a part of Ukraine anymore and declared its independence in full compliance with the UN Charter. In Budapest, we did not make a commitment to force a part of Ukraine to stay in it against the will of its people. Following the declaration of its independence, the Republic of Crimea conducted a democratic referendum, when almost 97% of the Crimean people voted in favor of their country joining the Russian Federation. This is another story though, which has nothing to do with the Budapest Memorandum or Ukraine. Therefore, the references to the Budapest Memorandum are, legally, groundless, and, politically, illegitimate. The Ukrainian representative reiterated the claim that Russia allegedly jeopardizes safety and security of nuclear facilities in Ukraine and, in fact, appealed to the foreign countries for help in protecting them. This is nothing but an attempt to pass the buck. Given the current situation in Ukraine, it is only the incapable "Kiev's new authorities" that can pose a threat to the Ukrainian nuclear facilities, but not Russia. We have already heard the calls by Maidan leaders to blow up the gas pipelines running through the Ukrainian territory and establish collaboration with professional international terrorists. For the sake of completeness, it should be noted that despite the utterly hostile policy of the current Ukrainian authorities the Russian Federation continues to fully meet its obligations towards Ukraine, be it supplies of nuclear fuel to Ukraine or imports into Russia of irradiated nuclear fuel for reprocessing, thus contributing to nuclear security in Ukraine. Finally, we note with regret that in recent days members of the Ukrainian coalition government representing the Batkivshchyna and Udar parties introduced a draft law providing for a withdrawal of Ukraine from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Attempts of the Ukrainian representative to distance himself from this position are not credible from our standpoint. It is lamentable that other Depositories of the Treaty pretend not to see this danger. We hope that the international community will objectively evaluate and adequately repel this Ukraine's extremist policy as, inter alia, undermining the international efforts to strengthen the nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear security regime. Speech by the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, at the Nuclear Security Summit, The Hague March 24, 2014 Mr. Prime Minister, Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, The Russian Federation attaches great importance to ensuring and maintaining physical nuclear security, not only in its own country, but also throughout the world, andis fully implementing its international obligations, being a member of the existing multilateral conventions: the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and its Amendment of 2005, as well as the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. The steps undertaken in our country to ensure the security and preservation of nuclear materials after the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit in 2012 are listed in the Memorandum which we have

20 20 distributed. According to the decisions of the Seoul summit, jointly with the IAEA we held two seminars for specialists in the countries which operate, build or plan the construction of nuclear energy reactors developed in Russia. In September 2012, the Strazh-2012 training was organised in the Moscow Region, within the framework of the Global Initiative for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism, where experts from over 50 countries were present. Since 2002, the Programme to return fresh and irradiated highly enriched uranium from scientific nuclear reactors of Russian designto the Russian Federation, at the same time converting the reactor cores of these reactors from HEU to LEU or stopping them completely, has been in effect. 790 kg of fresh and 1269 kg of irradiated HEU have been removed from 14 countries in 12 years fully from 9 countries and partially from 5 countries. We are concerned about the unjustified accumulation of weapons-grade fissile materials in some countries, which have no nuclear weapons. They are not hurrying to get rid of them, although the above mentioned programme provides all the necessary opportunities for that. We appeal for the activation of efforts to resolve this issue. We expect the United States to play a more active role here. We are also for the attachment of a universal nature to the fundamental international and legal documents in the PNS area, ensuring faster accession of all states to them. To that end, we welcome the message just released by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif. Nuclear terrorism is still one of the most important threats to international security. Therefore, we attach special attention to raising the level of security of information about the system of protection of nuclear materials and their respective objects. We need to reinforce the protection of automated control systems, which ensure security on sites using nuclear energy. To end, I would like to confirm our readiness to further build-up cooperation in the area on the agenda of our Summit the physical nuclear area. Answers to questions from the mass media by the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov summarizing the results of his participation in the extraordinary session of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Moscow March 21, 2014 Question: We have become witnesses to the decision of the Federation Council about the accession of Crimea and Sevastopol to Russia. How significant is this for the entire world and our country? How justified are the sanctions applied by the West? Sergey Lavrov: As to the significance of this decision, I do not know what can be added to the words which have already been said. There was an address by the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation of the 18 March and multiple statements of officials and nationals of the Russian Federation and Crimea. There is a feeling of historical justice, in conditions when Crimea could not stay in the state of Ukraine, whose current authorities do not ensure the undeniable rights of the people living there. Lately there has been a lot of talkabout norms of international law, obliging the states, which pretend to have territorial integrity, to fully ensure the rights and liberties of their nationals, as well as avoid violent actions, which restrict these rights, including the right to self-determination. As to sanctions this is not our choice. Unilateral sanctions have no international legal basis. It is common knowledge that our US colleagues have been using them for a long time. They use