SIMFEROPOL, March 17 -- The Crimean parliament Monday declared independence from Ukraine, after latest official results show 96.77 percent of Crimean voters chose to join Russia in Sunday's referendum.

The legislature passed an independence declaration during an extraordinary session, proclaiming the Black Sea peninsula an independent sovereign state, the Republic of Crimea.

"The Republic of Crimea intends to build its relations with other states on the basis of equality, peace, good neighborliness and other universally recognized principles of political, economic and cultural cooperation," the declaration said.

Crimea's Supreme Council also formally sent application to Kremlin for joining the Russian Federation as a new republic.

Earlier in the month, the Crimean parliament voted to become part of Russia and passed a resolution of declaration of independence paving the way for Sunday's referendum.

Ukrainian authorities have dismissed the referendum as "illegal," saying it violates the country's constitution.