CONFRONTATION RULED OUT

- Why was it necessary to take a decision on Crimea joining the Russian Federation before the referendum on 30 March?

-  The decision for Crimea to join the Russian Federation was prompted by the latest actions of the Ukrainian government. Kiev declared that the referendum on Crimea fixed for 30 March was unlawful. So the Crimean people were deprived of the right to express their will. Kiev also declared the Crimean Cabinet of Ministers illegitimate and the Ukrainian prosecutor's office issued arrest warrants on parliamentary speaker Vladimir Konstantinov and the head of the Council of Ministers of the Crimean autonomy, [Sergey] Aksenov.  Then there was the announcement by Kiev of nationwide mobilization. This shows that no-one has any intention of taking into account the opinion of the Crimean population. After all these actions by Kiev the Crimean parliament was also compelled to cut back on the time for holding a referendum on the status of the autonomy.

- What is the situation in Crimea after this decision and what response are you expecting from the government in Kiev?

- The situation in Simferopol and other towns is perfectly calm. Businesses and centres of education are open as usual. We are guided by the opinion of the Crimean people who have asked us to appoint a time as soon as possible for a referendum and for a precise wording of the questions which will be put to a nationwide ballot. A number of unlawful decisions have been adopted in relation to Crimea over the past four months.

- If the Crimean parliament is worried about the security of the population, will the Crimean authorities then agree to the deployment of international observers?

- There is no need at the moment for international observers. There will be a supervisory mission during the referendum. We intend to hold a ballot on 16 March in line with all international standards.

There can be no exacerbation of the situation in Crimea. There may be attempts to aggravate the situation from outside. Confrontations between the people of Crimea during or after the referendum have been ruled out. The situation in the ARC is stable and there is no danger in this respect.

- In an interview for the Russian press Russian President Vladimir Putin said he has no intention of merging Crimea with Russia. Does not the decision on alignment with Russia contradict with President Putin's position?

- Before taking a decision we held consultations with our electorate. And we have already approached the Russian authorities with a decision on joining the Russian Federation.