The
Crimean parliament declared independence from Ukraine Monday after official
results showed 96.77 percent of Crimean voters chose to join Russia in Sunday's
referendum.
The
legislature passed an independence declaration during an extraordinary session,
proclaiming the Black Sea peninsula an independent sovereign state, the
Republic of Crimea, Xinhua reported.
The
declaration appeals to the UN and its member states to recognise its existence
and promises to "build its relations with other states on the basis of
equality, peace, good neighborliness and other universally recognized
principles of political, economic and cultural cooperation."
The
parliament has also formally sent an application to the Kremlin to join the
Russian Federation as a new republic.
A
delegation of Crimean authorities is expected to arrive in Moscow later to
discuss the procedure of Crimea's integration into Russia's economic and legal
system.
Earlier
in the month, the Crimean parliament voted to become part of Russia and passed
a resolution of declaration of independence, paving the way for Sunday's
referendum.
Ukrainian
authorities have dismissed the referendum as "illegal", saying it
violated the country's constitution.
"Crimea
is a territory of the Ukrainian state. Our citizens reside there. We do not
recognise and will never recognise the so-called referendum," Ukrainian
Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk said.
Western
countries including the US, France, Germany and Britain also rejected the
referendum, calling the vote "illegal" and "contrary to the
Ukrainian constitution".
US
President Barack Obama said the US would not recognise the Crimean referendum
and vowed to impose fresh sanctions on Russia.
In his
talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the phone, Obama said the vote
in the Ukraine's autonomous republic violated the Ukrainian constitution,
Xinhua quoted the White House as saying Sunday.
It was
also held "under duress of Russian military intervention", Obama
said.
He told
Putin that "Russia's actions were in violation of Ukraine's sovereignty
and territorial integrity and that, in coordination with our European partners,
we are prepared to impose additional costs on Russia for its actions".
Putin
refused to back off.
"Putin
said the Crimean population's vote is proceeding in full compliance with
international law," the Kremlin web site said, citing the telephone
conversation between the leaders.
"Russia
will respect the choice of Crimean residents," Putin said, adding that he
was concerned about the aggravation of the situation in eastern and
southeastern regions of Ukraine.
But
Putin and Obama agreed to continue searching for ways to restore stability in
Ukraine.
Washington
has canceled trade talks and military exchanges with Russia, and Obama has
authorised visa bans and freezing of assets of some Russians and Ukrainians
blamed for Moscow's military takeover of Crimea.
Putin
told German Chancellor Angela Merkel earlier that Russia would "respect
the choice" of the Crimeans.
Merkel,
however, underscored the urgency of holding direct talks between Russia and
Ukraine, a German government spokesperson said.
The
German chancellor said the existing presence of the Organisation for Security
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Ukraine should be quickly expanded.
She
stressed that it was urgent and necessary for the governments of Russia and
Ukraine to hold direct talks.
Washington
and its allies have been pushing for Moscow to withdraw its military personnel
posted in bases in Crimea, home to Russia's Black Sea Fleet, allow
international monitors into Crimea and to open a dialogue with the Ukrainian
government.
French
Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius denied the legitimacy of Crimea's referendum,
urging Russia to take immediate measures to avoid a "useless" and
"dangerous" escalation of Ukrainian crisis.
"Nothing
in the way that the referendum has been conducted should convince anyone that
it is a legitimate exercise," British Foreign Secretary William Hague
said.
The European
Union said the referendum in Crimea was "illegal and illegitimate"
and its outcome "will not be recognised".
Moscow
Saturday vetoed a UN Security Council draft resolution while China abstained.
The
resolution, drawn up by the US and backed by Western countries, called on
international organisations to ignore the results of the voting in Crimea.
"China
holds an objective and fair position on the Ukraine issue," Liu Jieyi,
Chinese permanent representative to the UN, told the Security Council.
"The
vote by the Security Council at this juncture will only result in confrontation
and further complicate the situation," said Liu.
Crimea,
historically part of the Russian Federation, was transferred to Ukraine in May
1954, then a republic of the Soviet Union.
In
1992, the Crimean Supreme Council (parliament) declared independence pending a
referendum which was called off by the Ukrainian authorities.
Crimea
held two other referendum in 1991 and 1994, testing voters' preference for
greater autonomy within Ukraine or uniting with Russia.
The
Crimean Supreme Council passed a resolution of declaration of independence
March 11 this year to pave the way for Sunday's referendum.
