EU Stance on Crimea-Russia Reunification to Remain Unchanged – Diplomat

BRUSSELS, June 27 (RIA Novosti) — The European Union’s refusal to recognize Crimea’s reunification with Russia is unlikely to change, Russia’s ambassador to the EU, Vladimir Chizhov, told RIA Novosti in an interview Friday.

“The EU will maintain its position on refusing to recognize Crimea’s current status," Chizhov said.

Following Crimea’s reunification with Russia, the EU introduced a ban on imports from the Black Sea peninsula from June 25. Only Crimean goods with certificates from Ukrainian authorities are being allowed into the EU.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius said earlier this week that the EU could take additional steps as part of its policy of refusing to acknowledge Crimea’s move to rejoin Russia in March.

Chizhov said there are a lot of unrecognized territories in the world. “I can refer to Transdniestria [a Moldovan breakaway region]. And this does not prevent European companies from operating there and continuing trade,” the ambassador said.

Chizhov added that the situation in Crimea is different. “The issue is that it’s not a separate state, it’s part of Russia. Therefore, exported Crimean goods will be goods made in Russia.”

Speaking of Crimean wine the ambassador said: “I think that Crimean winemakers can be calm: the Russian market in this sector is huge.”

Chizhov said he hopes the actions of EU authorities in Crimea will not affect European investors’ interest in working on the Black Sea peninsula. “I hope that investors have enough sense, commercial grip and acknowledgement of their own interests,” the Russian diplomat added.

Following the March referendum in Crimea that led to its reunification with Russia, the EU and the US accused Russia of escalating the crisis in Ukraine and violating the country’s territorial integrity, and imposed targeted sanctions against Russian officials and some entities.

The US has threatened Russia with tougher sanctions targeting key sectors of the country’s economy in the event of further escalation of the Ukrainian crisis. Russia’s Foreign Ministry has condemned the measures as counterproductive and warned of the boomerang effect they might have.