MOSCOW: The Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday signed a law amending the Russian constitution and finalizing the legal process of taking the Ukraine’s Crimea region under the sovereignty of Russia.
The development came after the upper house of the Russian parliament unanimously ratified an international treaty with Crimea, which accepts the former Ukrainian region as a new part of Russia.
The parliament also passed a bill amending the Russian constitution to allow for the addition of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol to the list of administrative parts of the Russian Federation.
The Russian president thanked lawmakers and everyone involved in the historic change of European borders for their efforts to make it happen.
“I ask lawmakers of both chambers to work actively and do everything we can, to make the transition process not only painless, but also beneficial for all Russia and the people of Crimea,” Putin said.
