Italian lawmakers to follow their French colleagues’ lead and visit Crimea

talian lawmakers have decided to follow the lead of their French colleagues and visit Russia’s Crimea, Manlio di Stefano, a member of the international committee of the Italian Parliament’s Chamber of Deputies, told Russia’s Kommersant daily on Tuesday.

“We have decided to visit Crimea and Moscow in a Five Star Movement delegation. I will get in contact with the Russian embassy in Rome to begin the organization of the visit,” Kommersant quoted him as saying.

The delegation will go to Crimea via Russia. Di Stefano said the Italian lawmakers wanted to see for themselves “how people live in Crimea after the 2014 referendum.”

Senator Sergio Divina with the Northern League party said he would join the parliamentary delegation.
Earlier, a source in the Russian State Duma lower parliament house told Kommersant that Italian lawmakers were eyeing a visit to Crimea “as part of bilateral parliamentary contacts.”.