Russian, Kazakh presidents discuss Crimea referendum over the phone

    Russian President Vladimir Putin has had a telephone conversation with his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev.
    The talk was held at the Kazakh leader’s request, the Kremlin reports.
    "Putin and Nazarbayev exchanged views about the acute crisis in Ukraine. Special attention was given to the current referendum in Crimea," the report said.
    The two leaders praised the way the referendum had been organized and the fact that the people of Crimea had been given a chance to freely express their will on the issue of fundamental significance for them, the report said, according to the Voice of Russia.