Karen Ghazaryan
Public Radio of Armenia
The conduct of a referendum in Crimea is a real farce and is illegal, Ukraine’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia Ivan Kukhta told reporters today. Speaking about the situation in Ukraine, the Ambassador said he’s optimistic and hopes it will stabilize soon.
The situation in Ukraine is complex and further complicates connected with the referendum in Crimea set for March 16, Mr. Kukhta said.
The Ambassador refrained from comparing the situation to Karabakh, saying that drawing parallels is the task of political scientists, analysts and experts. As for Crimea, he referred to the OSCE statement, claiming that the referendum is illegal and non-constructive, and contradicts both the Ukrainian Constitution and international law. Thus, the OSCE makes it clear that even if the referendum is conducted, the organization will not recognize it.
According to the Ambassador, the Ukrainian Constitution clearly stipulates the procedure of conduct of a referendum on the territory of the country. He added that organizing a referendum within a fortnight is a simple farce, which cannot be legally binding.
Ivan Kukhta said Ukraine is ready to discuss the situation with Russia at the negotiating table.
