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Crimean issue not closed says Ukrainian minister

Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin reacts to Russian counterpart's comments

10.07.2015 - Update : 10.07.2015
Crimean issue not closed says Ukrainian minister

KIEV, Ukraine

Ukraine has reacted angrily to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s claim that the Crimean issue was “closed”.

Pavlo Klimkin, Ukraine’s foreign minister, told Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Thursday the "Crimean crisis has not ended for international society."

He added: "Russia closed Crimea off from the world. Moreover, Russia closed Crimea for the people who want to live in freedom… in their own land."

In a social network post, Ukrainian Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksandr Turchynov said no country should “cooperate with criminals and robbers” in an apparent reference to Russia.

Lavrov’s comments came at a regional summit in the Russian city of Ufa. He said: “The decision between the Crimean people and Russia ended this crisis."

Russian forces took control of Crimea in late February last year. The peninsula, which has a predominantly ethnic Russian population, had been part of Ukraine since 1954.

The following month, Russia annexed Crimea after a referendum that led to international condemnation.

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