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French delegation's visit to Crimea angers foreign ministers

The two-day visit has been perceived as an act of defiance to Western sanctions placed on Russia for illegal annexation.

By Jared M. Feldschreiber
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said he was "shocked" by a delegation of French lawmakers that made a two-day visit to Crimea this week. "It risks violating international law – entering Crimea without Ukrainian authorities' permission means recognition of Moscow's claims," Fabius said. File Photo by David Silpa/UPI
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said he was "shocked" by a delegation of French lawmakers that made a two-day visit to Crimea this week. "It risks violating international law – entering Crimea without Ukrainian authorities' permission means recognition of Moscow's claims," Fabius said. File Photo by David Silpa/UPI | License Photo

SIMFEROPOL, Ukraine, July 24 (UPI) -- The foreign ministries of Ukraine and France have criticized a private visit to Crimea by a delegation of French parliament members.

The two-day visit has been perceived as defiance of Western sanctions placed against Russia for the Kremlin's annexation of the self-autonomous peninsula in March 2014.

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Russia maintains the referendum held in 2014 after Russia seized Ukrainian bases in Crimea legitimized the region's "return" to Russia, but Western countries have maintained it belongs to Ukrainian sovereignty.

MP Thierry Mariani and the rest of the delegation arrived Thursday in Crimea.

The trip "shows disrespect for state sovereignty" the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said, BBC News reported.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said he was "shocked" by the delegation's visit.

"It risks violating international law – entering Crimea without Ukrainian authorities' permission means recognition of Moscow's claims," he said.

Seen as a private visit, the parliament members are spending time in the regional capital Simferopol, Yalta and the port of Sevastopol. The two-day trip was organized by Russia's Foundation for Peace, and supported by the Franco-Russian Dialogue Association, the Kyiv Post reported.

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Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also said the MPs will face an entry ban to the eastern-European country.

Sergei Aksyonov, the pro-Russian leader in Crimea, said the visit was "a recognition by the foreign MPs that the sanctions against Russia are ineffective."

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