Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday the Ukrainian authorities decision to announce Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov persona non-grata was "absolutely unjustified", according to Itar-Tass.
Lavrov, talking to journalists, said this in comments on Kyiv`s decision to bar Luzhkov from entering Ukraine, in connection with the mayor`s statements during the celebration of the 225th anniversary of the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol.
As UNIAN reported earlier, on May 12 Ukraine barred Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov from entering the country for suggesting that it should cede the city of Sevastopol to Russia. Speaking on Sunday at Sevastopol celebrations for the 225th anniversary of the foundation of the Black Sea fleet, Luzhkov said the Crimean port city belonged to Russia. A lease agreement with Ukraine allows Russia to use Sevastopol as the main base for its Black Sea Fleet until 2017.
