Crimea's Referendum Democratic: Hatoyama

Moscow, March 11 (Jiji Press)--Crimea's referendum in March 2014 that approved the region's reunification with Russia was conducted democratically, former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said Wednesday. The referendum was in accordance with Ukraine's domestic law, Hatoyama told officials in Yalta during his trip to Crimea. The poll was conducted amid Russia's military intervention. The international community does not recognize the validity of the referendum. Speaking at a later press conference in the major Crimean city of Simferopol, Hatoyama said that a lot of criticism from the Japanese government over his trip to Crimea is evidence of the significance of the visit. At a news conference in Moscow, Japanese Ambassador to Russia Chikahito Harada said that Hatoyama's remarks run counter to the Japanese government's position and do not deserve any serious comment. END