Italian Delegation Visiting Crimea Not Afraid of Kiev's Threats

The Italian delegates, who are currently visiting Crimea, are not afraid of threats from Ukraine, Stefano Valdegamberi, one of the members of the delegation, told reporters Friday.

SIMFEROPOL (Sputnik) — Late on Thursday, a large Italian delegation of businessmen and lawmakers from the national parliament and local councils arrived in Crimea for a three-day visit, where the delegates are expected to sign memorandums with Russia in political, cultural and economic spheres.

"We are not afraid of threats from Ukraine. We believe that each nation has the right for self-determination. The people of Crimea legally used their right," Valdegamberi, who is also a member of the parliament of Italian’s Veneto region, said.

On Tuesday, a member of the delegation told media that Ukraine’s diplomatic representation in Italy sent notices to the delegates warning that they would violate an article of Ukraine’s criminal code by visiting Crimea.

The Crimean peninsula seceded from Ukraine and reunified with Russia after more than 96 percent of local voters supported the move in a referendum in March 2014. Kiev, as well as the West, did not recognize the move and considers the peninsula an occupied territory.

However, over 60 delegations from dozens of countries have visited Russia’s southwestern Crimea region this year, defying Western restrictions, including those from France, Italy, Jordan and many other nations.