Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law the ratification of the Treaty of Crimea and Sevastopol Accession to Russia, and the federal constitutional law on procedure for their joining Russia and a transitional period of integration of the new entities of the Federation, RIA Novosti reported on March 21.
The documents were signed in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall in the presence of parliamentarians of the Federation Council and the State Duma. In particular, the speaker of the Federation Council and the State Duma Valentina Matvienko and Sergei Naryshkin, as well as their deputies and leaders of State Duma factions were invited to the Kremlin.
A referendum on the status of autonomy was held in Crimea on March 16. Over 96 percent voted for Crimea's joining Russia. The parties signed a contract on March 18.
The law supplements Article 65 of the Russian Constitution, containing several Russian regions.
There will be 85 instead of 83. There will be the transitional period until January 1, 2015. The issues of integration of Crimea and Sevastopol in the economic, financial, credit and legal systems and a system of the Russian state agencies will be resolved during this period.
Russian, Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar are declared the state languages in Crimea. Crimea's border with Ukraine will become the Russian state border.
Ukrainian citizens and stateless persons permanently residing in Crimea or Sevastopol have been recognized as Russian citizens since March 18, except those who express their willingness within one month to keep their citizenship or their minor children's citizenship or to remain stateless people.