Kazakhstan on the Crimean referendum

    Kazakhstan regards the Crimean referendum as a free expression of the will of the people of the Crimea autonomous republic and understands Russia’s stance in these circumstances, Tengrinews.kz reported on March 18, citing Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry.
    “Regarding the Crimean referendum, which was held on March 16, 2014, Kazakhstan reiterates its commitment to the fundamental principles of international law in line with the United Nations Charter,” the statement reads.
    The Foreign Ministry elaborated that “Kazakhstan supports a peaceful way out of the crisis in Ukraine and is in favor of overcoming the crisis through negotiations under the aegis of the UN and other reputed international organization”.
    Crimean election Spokesman Mikhail Malyshev said the final result of the referendum was 96.77 percent to rejoin Russia, and 2.51 percent against. Russia's Vladimir Putin has said he will respect the Crimean people's wishes. The White House and Western governments rejected the referendum, www.tengrinews.kz reports.