International Isolation of Crimea Non-Existent

YALTA (Russia) (Sputnik) — There is no such thing as international isolation of Crimea, imagined by the West, Russia's Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Crimean Federal District Oleg Belaventsev said Saturday.

"[International isolation of Crimea] does not exist… Crimea receives guests from all over the world practically all the time," Belaventsev told the Livadiya international forum citing multiple visits of delegation from the EU states to the peninsula.

Crimea reunified with Russia in March 2014 following a political referendum in the region, in which 96 percent of those who voted did so in favor of rejoining Russia. Ukraine and the Western states have refused to recognize the vote, imposing economic sanctions against the peninsula that include investment bans and restrictive measures targeting Crimean individuals and entities.

In July 2015, a group of French lawmakers visited Crimea, reporting afterward that the Black Sea peninsula residents, who are predominantly ethnically-Russian, appear to be happy to have the autonomous republic rejoin with Russia. The lawmakers said what they saw in Crimea was completely different from what Western media portrayed.

A delegation of five Italian senators paid a three-day visit to Crimea last month to discuss economic and cultural issues. Also in May, Italy's Veneto regional parliament urged Rome to recognize Crimea as part of Russia.

The delegation of some 60 German businessmen, politicians and representatives of the public paid a visit to Crimea to participate in the Days of German culture on May 24-June 1.