YALTA, August 14 (RIA Novosti) — Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Russian lawmakers in the Crimean city of Yalta to discuss the development of Crimea, formerly a part of Ukraine and Russia’s newest region since March.
“A lot remains to be done in Crimea. A lot of problems has remained unsolved for decades. The previous authorities used to take a lot from Crimea, while giving little or nothing at all," the president said at a meeting.
Putin also said that Russian authorities taking urgent measures to develop the electrical grid, transport infrastructure and telecommunications in Crimea is the first step in the region’s development.
In early June, Russian Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev said that Russian private and state investment in Crimea will total 150 billion to 200 billion rubles ($4.2 billion to $5.7 billion) annually. He added that Crimean infrastructure – highways, railroads, ports and the electrical grid – is in a deplorable state.
According to Russia’s Agency for Strategic Initiatives, Crimea has the potential to become a center for engineering, aircraft testing, IT and winemaking.
