UN General Assembly Declares Crimea Secession Vote Invalid
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - The UN General Assembly on Thursday passed a non-binding resolution declaring invalid Crimea's referendum earlier this month on seceding from Ukraine.
There were 100 votes in favor, 11 against and 58 abstentions in the 193-nation assembly. Two dozen countries did not participate in the vote, either because they did not show up or because they have not paid their dues, UN diplomats said.
The General Assembly resolution echoes a text Moscow vetoed earlier this month in the Security Council. The approved declaration dismisses Crimea's vote as "having no validity, (and) cannot form the basis for any alteration of the status of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea or of the City of Sevastopol," Reuters reported.
The resolution says the General Assembly "calls upon all States, international organizations and specialized agencies not to recognize any alteration of the status" of Crimea and Sevastopol.
Although the resolution is non-binding, western diplomats said it sends a strong political message about Russia's lack of broad support on the Crimean issue.
