Crimea's first steps towards joining Russia

Crimea launched a raft of measures on Monday (17/03/2014) to facilitate its entry into Russia, a day after the separatist region voted overwhelmingly to split from Ukraine.

Here is a summary of its first political, economic and military steps.

Crimea's regional assembly declared independence from Ukraine and appealed for recognition from the international community.

"The Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea... declares Crimea an independent sovereign state - the Republic of Crimea," said a document approved by the assembly.

"The republic of Crimea appeals to the United Nations and to all countries of the world to recognise it as an independent state."

The authorities simultaneously applied to become part of Russia, reversing a 1954 move by Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev who had handed the peninsula as a "gift" to Ukraine, then still a Soviet republic.

"The Republic of Crimea... applies to the Russian Federation to accept the Republic of Crimea as a member of the Russian Federation," they said.

The assembly decreed the nationalisation of all Ukrainian state property in Crimea, saying: "All establishments, businesses and other organisations of Ukraine or with Ukrainian participation on the territory of Crimea will belong to Crimea."

It also noted that Ukrainian law would no longer apply in the breakaway region, nor would decisions taken by Kiev since the ouster of pro-Moscow president Viktor Yanukovych last month.

"The activities of state institutions of Ukraine on the territory of Crimea are finished and their powers, their property and their budgets are transferred to the state organs of the Republic of Crimea," it said.

Crimea moved to rid the peninsula of Ukrainian forces, with regional assembly chief Volodymyr Konstantynov saying they would be given two alternatives: to swear allegiance to the local authorities or leave.

Konstantynov was earlier quoted by Russian media as saying all Ukrainian military units on the peninsula would be "disbanded" as part of the nationalisation of Ukrainian state property.

The Russian ruble was introduced as a second official currency in Crimea alongside the Ukrainian hryvnia, which will continue to be valid in Crimea until January 1, 2016. - AFP