The Federal Constitutional Law is based on the result of a general referendum in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol on March 16, 2014, in which voters supported Crimea’s reunification with Russia as a constituent entity of the Russian Federation. It is also based on the Declaration of Independence by the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, the Agreement between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Crimea on Admitting the Republic of Crimea to the Russian Federation and Establishing within the Russian Federation New Constituent Entities, and the proposal by the Republic of Crimea and special-status city of Sevastopol to join the Russian Federation.
Under the Federal Constitutional Law, the Republic of Crimea will join the Russian Federation and two new constituent entities are established: the Republic of Crimea and city of federal importance Sevastopol.
The Federal Constitutional Law defines the borders of the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, recognises the granting of Russian Federation citizenship to citizens of Ukraine and stateless persons permanently resident in Crimea and Sevastopol, and also contains provisions on military service and conscription.
A transitional period will be in effect from the day of Crimea’s accession to the Russian Federation until January 1, 2015. This period will be used to organise the new constituent entities’ integration into Russia’s economic, financial, banking and legal systems and into the Russian government system.
Under the Federal Constitutional Law, Russian courts will be established in Crimea and Sevastopol. Rules and procedures have been set to ensure the functioning of the judicial and local government systems during the transitional period. Prosecutor’s offices and chambers of notaries and lawyers will be established in Crimea and Sevastopol.
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The Federal Law ratifies the Agreement between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Crimea on Admitting the Republic of Crimea to the Russian Federation and Establishing within the Russian Federation New Constituent Entities, signed in Moscow on March 18, 2014.