Ukraine concerned with Kazakhstan's acceptance of Crimean referendum

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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has referred to Kazakhstan's acceptance of the referendum in Crimiea as an unneighborly act, Tengrinews reports citing the press office of the Ukrainian Ministry. First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Nataliya Galibarenko met with the Ambassador of Kazakhstan in Ukraine Zautbek Turisbekov on March 19. “Ukraine expressed its deep concern in connection to Kazakhstan’s response to the referendum in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. The response contradicts the statement Kazakhstan made earlier about the need to maintain territorial integrity of Ukraine,” the message from the Ukrainian Ministry said. The response that upset Ukraine stated that Kazakhstan considered the referendum in Crimea an expression of free will of the population and took Russia’s decision with due understanding. Kazakhstan advocated “peaceful resolution of the situation in Ukraine through negotiations under the UN and other international organizations”. The highly discussed and criticized referendum took place on March 16 in Crimea where the majority of the population voted for joining of the peninsula to Russia. President Vladimir Putin along with the Mayor of Sevastopol and the Head of Crimea signed an agreement. Ukraine and many countries do not agree with the referendum conducted in Crimea and consider it illegitimate.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has referred to Kazakhstan's acceptance of the referendum in Crimiea as an unneighborly act, Tengrinews reports citing the press office of the Ukrainian Ministry. First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Nataliya Galibarenko met with the Ambassador of Kazakhstan in Ukraine Zautbek Turisbekov on March 19. “Ukraine expressed its deep concern in connection to Kazakhstan’s response to the referendum in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. The response contradicts the statement Kazakhstan made earlier about the need to maintain territorial integrity of Ukraine,” the message from the Ukrainian Ministry said. The response that upset Ukraine stated that Kazakhstan considered the referendum in Crimea an expression of free will of the population and took Russia’s decision with due understanding. Kazakhstan advocated “peaceful resolution of the situation in Ukraine through negotiations under the UN and other international organizations”. The highly discussed and criticized referendum took place on March 16 in Crimea where the majority of the population voted for joining of the peninsula to Russia. President Vladimir Putin along with the Mayor of Sevastopol and the Head of Crimea signed an agreement. Ukraine and many countries do not agree with the referendum conducted in Crimea and consider it illegitimate.

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