Ukraine should first of all address the issue of compliance with laws on its territory.

Thus, the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Maria Zakharova, commented on the statement of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the intention to demand from Cape Verde the extradition of Natalia Poklonskaya, appointed in this country by the Russian ambassador.

“Let them first try to apply Ukrainian justice on the territory of Ukraine, and then tackle Africa,” Zakharova wrote in her Telegram channel.

During a weekly briefing on Thursday, she recalled that Poklonskaya, according to the Vienna Convention, has diplomatic immunity.

Earlier, the former Deputy Prosecutor General of Ukraine Gunduz Mamedov expressed the opinion that the appointment of Poklonskaya to the post of Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Cape Verde is good news for the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine and the so-called Prosecutor's Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, which is part of the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office.

In his opinion, Kiev can allegedly prepare documents for the extradition of Poklonskaya.

“One case is already in court, the second is being investigated.

Thus, there is a great opportunity for her to directly participate in the process, ”he noted.

In turn, the representative of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Oleg Nikolenko, stated that the department "has already raised the issue of Poklonskaya's criminal activities before the government of Cape Verde."

In his commentary to the RBC-Ukraine agency, he said that Kiev is looking for the former Crimean prosecutor for "high treason", adding that she is under sanctions from Ukraine, the European Union, the United States, Canada and Japan: "It will not be possible to hide even in Africa."

Leonid Slutsky, Chairman of the State Duma Foreign Affairs Committee, commenting on the intentions of the Ukrainian side, called them incompetent, recalling the diplomatic immunity that Poklonskaya will have as an ambassador of the Russian Federation.

“Her extradition is impossible without lifting her immunity.

This will be the biggest diplomatic scandal, do you think the authorities of Cape Verde will agree to this? "

- quoted him by the online edition "Gazeta.Ru".

The parliamentarian also congratulated Poklonskaya on her appointment to the new post and expressed confidence that she will adequately cope with her new responsibilities.

“Natalya Vladimirovna is an experienced professional and a true patriot of Russia.

And we are all well aware of this from the events of the Crimean Spring and its work in the State Duma.

I have no doubt that she will be able to effectively defend the interests of our Motherland in the diplomatic arena as well, ”Slutsky said.

Alexander Formanchuk, Chairman of the Crimean Public Chamber, also spoke with words of support and congratulations.

In his opinion, Poklonskaya received a "prize" for her work for the benefit of the Crimean peninsula after reunification with Russia.

“We can only congratulate Poklonskaya on her honorable appointment ... We can assume that she received a prize in this position for everything useful that she did in her time for the republic in the first years after the return of Crimea to Russia,” RIA quoted her as saying. News.

  • RIA News

  • © Ramil Sitdikov

On October 13, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree appointing Natalia Poklonskaya, who served as deputy chairman of the international affairs committee in the State Duma of the 7th convocation, as Russian ambassador to the Republic of Cape Verde.

“To appoint Poklonskaya Natalya Vladimirovna the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Cape Verde,” the document says.

Earlier, Vladimir Sokolenko was the head of the Russian diplomatic mission in this African state.

Poklonskaya herself noted that the new appointment is a great honor for her.

“I am grateful to our president, and I will do everything in my power to justify the trust, to represent our country in Cape Verde at a dignified level.

I took courses, training, internship at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Our diplomats are highly qualified specialists, I am amazed at their skills, I try to learn from their experience.

But in diplomacy it is different, you need restraint, ”TASS quotes her.

According to Poklonskaya, now she is collecting the necessary documents, a meeting with her predecessor in this post is also planned, and only after that a trip to Cape Verde, acquaintance with the staff of the embassy and the leadership of the African country.

“First you need to come to the country in general, to look around.

And there will be different questions about work.

I think that, of course, the issue of Crimea always remains.

But in any case, Crimea is a part of the Russian Federation and a full-fledged subject of Russia.

Therefore, there are a number of other issues that are aimed at improving and strengthening good, friendly relations between Russia and Cape Verde.

And among them, not only what you are talking about, ”said Poklonskaya, answering a question about plans to raise the issue of recognition by the Republic of Cape Verde of the Russian status of Crimea.

Natalia Poklonskaya in the period from 2014 to 2016 served as the Prosecutor of the Republic of Crimea.