Duma vice-speaker: Crimea’s parliament makes “historical” decision

The Crimean legislature’s approval of the idea the peninsula may join Russia is a historical decision, the State Duma’s Deputy Speaker Sergei Neverov said in an interview to Itar-Tass on Thursday.

“We are one nation split because of party functionaries’ irresponsibility,” said Neverov, secretary of the General Council of the ruling party, United Russia.

First Deputy Prime Minister of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea Rustam Temirgaliev told Itar-Tass on Thursday the autonomy’s legislature had approved in principle the republic’s accession to Russia as one of its constituent regions. A referendum on the issue is scheduled for March 16.