German Parliamentarians to Discuss Visit to Crimea

Member of the German parliament from the left-wing Die Linke party Alexander Neu says German lawmakers can visit the Crimean Peninsula following a French delegation.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — German lawmakers can visit the Crimean Peninsula following the French delegation, Alexander Neu, member of the German parliament (Bundestag) from the left-wing Die Linke party said Monday.

On July 23-24, a 10-member delegation of French lawmakers, headed by former Minister of Transport Thierry Mariani, travelled to Crimea to examine the economic and social situation on the peninsula.

“I consider the visit of French lawmakers as the right activity… They had to show and to tell to the French officials, politicians and the community about the real state of affairs,” Neu said, as quoted by Russia's Izvestia newspaper.

He added that the possibility of visiting the peninsula is more acceptable for Die Linke than for other Bundestag’s parties. He said that his party would discuss the visit after Bundestag would renew its activities in September.

Italy’s influential opposition Five Star Movement (M5S) parties, northern Italy’s regional Lega Nord party, Hungarian Jobbik party are also planning to visit Crimea in the fall.

Crimea seceded from Ukraine and reunified with Russia following a March 2014 referendum in which over 96 percent of voters supported the move. The vote was labelled an illegal annexation by Kiev and the West.