Five years after Crimea - Russia reunification | Sunday Observer

Five years after Crimea - Russia reunification

24 March, 2019

The celebration of the fifth anniversary of the reunification of the Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol with Russia was held on March 18.

Crimea’s people waited many years for the chance to exercise their lawful right to self-determination – a right enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and other international instruments, including the Commission’s Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) Helsinki Final Act.

Crimeans began resisting forced Ukrainisation and Russophobia in 1991, when 93 percent of the region’s people voted at a referendum to restore Crimea’s autonomy within the Soviet Union – to make it an independent, separate from Ukraine within the then USSR.

On March 16, 2014 in the course of free democratic expression of will at the referendum in Crimea, the vast majority (96.8%) of the region’s people voted in favour of reunification with Russia.

The Kiev authorities attitude towards the people of Crimea was expressed by one of Ukraine’s nationalist leaders, Dmytro Yarosh. He said Crimea will be part of Ukrain, or it will be emptied of its people. The Ukrainian Government did not stop at words.

They organised water, food, transport and energy blockades. Ukrainian nationalists continue to call for action against the people of Crimea for the democratic choice they made.

Now, we can say that Crimea’s integration into Russia’s common political, legal, social and economic space has been completed.

The socio-economic situation is stable, despite the bitter legacy of the past. The economy is growing, housing construction is picking up pace, industry and agriculture are growing, transport infrastructure is being developed and the tourism sector is getting stronger. The free economic zone is developing rapidly.

 

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