The breakaway republic of Transdniester has called on Russia to consider incorporating it as its part following the example of Crimea.

      In his address to the Russian State Duma, chairman of the Supreme Council Mikhail Burla referred to the results of the 2006 referendum that saw 97.2 percent voting for joining Russia.

      Transdniester is a narrow strip of land sandwiched between the Dniester river and the Ukrainian border

      It proclaimed independence from Moldova in 1990 and has since been engaged in fruitless talks over its status.

      The plea came on Tuesday when the Kremlin announced that Crimea will be soon incorporated into Russia and a treaty was signed with the Crimean authorities.

      The move which the West has branded as an annexation has been widely expected following the Sunday referendum on the peninsula populated by an ethnic Russian majority.

      Earlier on Tuesday, the Kremlin signed an order to recognize the independence of Crimea after its people overwhelmingly voted to join Russia.

      The move has been condemned by the West, with the EU and the US imposing a raft of sanctions on individuals and freezing military cooperation.

      US sanctions target seven Russian government officials — presidential aide Vladislav Surkov, presidential advisor Sergey Glazyev, head of State Duma’s CIS committee Leonid Slutsky, head of the Federation Council’s Constitutional Legislation committee Andrey Klishas, speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko, vice-premier Dmitry Rogozin and head of State Duma’s committee for the affairs of family, women and children Yelena Mizulina.

      The list also includes four Ukrainians, including the country’s former president Viktor Yanukovich, former chief of staff Viktor Medvedchuk, and Crimea’s newly-elected leader Sergey Aksyonov and head of the republic’s legislature Vladimir Konstantinov.

      The US is expected to freeze their assets and impose a visa ban.