Socioeconomic development of Crimea and Sevastopol.
Transcript:
Dmitry Medvedev’s opening remarks
Report by Prime Minister of the Republic of Crimea Sergei Aksyonov
Report by Acting Mayor of Sevastopol Alexei Chaly
Government meeting
Dmitry Medvedev: Of course we are holding an unusual meeting today. As a rule the Russian Government holds its meetings in Moscow, but today, considering the fact that two new regions have joined Russia, I considered it necessary to meet here in Crimea. Today’s meeting includes our colleagues – the Prime Minister of Crimea Sergei Aksyonov, the Speaker of the Crimean Parliament Vladimir Konstantinov, the Mayor of Sevastopol Alexei Chaly and other authorities representing the leadership of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol.
Some ministers who are here have already been to Simferopol, other districts of the republic and Sevastopol, and they have started working in their respective areas. Nevertheless, I consider it absolutely necessary that the Government should reassess the situation and the scale of our tasks on the spot, and of course we should simply talk with the people of the Crimean Peninsula and support them.
This format will make it possible to resolve many issues quickly, including complicated issues, without red tape which is absolutely unacceptable in this situation. Any delays in fulfilling the instructions regarding socioeconomic development issues in this area could aggravate the situation on the peninsula, and we must not allow this.
As I’ve already said, not a single resident of Crimea and Sevastopol should lose anything after becoming part of Russia. On the contrary, they should only gain benefits. This is precisely what the people expect from us. They expect us to create favourable conditions for a peaceful and worthwhile life, for being confident in their future, a feeling that they are part of a powerful country. And we must justify their expectations. Therefore all Deputy Prime Ministers and Ministers assume complete responsibility for Crimea in their respective areas. As you know, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak is coordinating the entire effort. But I would like to stress once again that this is our collective responsibility. This is our collective and personal responsibility.
We’ll have to work hard. The ministries and departments received specific instructions after the previous 24 March meeting. Today, we’ll analyse what’s been done in the past seven days. But it’s not enough to just sum up the initial results. We need to clarify the entire scope of our work, and be clear about it.
Most of our objectives deal with the social sector. Again, the people here should only benefit from joining Russia; and we must make this possible. So first of all, I’d like to tell you that we have made a decision on raising Crimean pensions to the average Russian level through special extra payments. I have coordinated this with the Russian President, and the head of state has signed the relevant executive order. This will be done step by step. The first extra payments will be made on 1 April. After that, they’ll increase by 25% of the required sum each month, and they’ll eventually reach the national average. So extra payments and overall pensions will increase in May, June and July meaning that we will completely resolve this issue by July and fulfill all our obligations to Crimean pensioners. In the future, pensions will naturally be paid in line with the standard procedure for all Russian citizens and in line with specific amounts as stipulated by law, including indexation.
Dmitry Medvedev: "I’d like to tell you that we have made a decision on raising Crimean pensions to the average Russian level through special extra payments. I have coordinated this with the Russian President, and the head of state has signed the relevant executive order. This will be done step by step. The first extra payments will be made on 1 April. After that, they’ll increase by 25% of the required sum each month, and they’ll eventually reach the national average. We plan to raise the salaries of Crimean public sector employees to average Russian levels in accordance with the same plan. I’m talking about almost 140,000 people, including teachers and doctors, cultural and social workers."
Second, we plan to raise the salaries of Crimean public sector employees to average Russian levels in accordance with the same plan. I’m talking about almost 140,000 people, including teachers and doctors, cultural and social workers. It is to these people that we entrust our health, the education of the children, the preservation of historical heritage, and care for those facing difficult situations. Obviously, people in these professions should receive the salaries they deserve, just like in other Russian regions. As I said, these salaries will be raised to average Russian levels step by step and in line with the same regulations as the pension increases.
Third, military personnel and law enforcement officials will receive salaries based on Russian standards. All pay grades and incentives will also be raised on this schedule. The executive order has been signed.
I would like to note separately that we will retain all the social benefits that were stipulated in Crimea and Sevastopol before the signing of the agreement with Russia over the transition period. This will happen even if Russian legislation does not envisage such benefits or even if they exceed Russian levels. Residents of Crimea should not be deprived of the usual support system.
Healthcare is the next issue that concerns every Crimean. A system of mandatory healthcare will start operating in Crimea at the beginning of next year. We’ll start modernising the healthcare infrastructure to tailor it to the average Russian standards, because currently it is lagging far behind them. I recently visited a children’s outpatient clinic that is not one of the worst in Crimea. Yet, the level of equipment there is different from that of the average Russian clinic. Salaries of doctors and other medical personnel are smaller. We’ve made all decisions on salaries and I’ve already announced them. Now we’ll help Crimeans with equipment as well.
Dmitry Medvedev: "A system of mandatory healthcare will start operating in Crimea at the beginning of next year. We’ll start modernising the healthcare infrastructure to tailor it to the average Russian standards."
However, the programme of state guarantees of free medical assistance should start working in Crimea now, all the more so considering the problems that exist in this area. We’ve just discussed this issue with the Prime Minister. The Ministry of Healthcare has already delivered pharmaceuticals and medical equipment to Crimea from its reserve. Naturally, such supplies will continue. In the near future the Government will provide Crimea with an uninterrupted supply of the necessary medicines and equipment this year. I’d like to ask you to report on the clinic we just visited and on high-tech medical aid. I think we should establish a high-tech medical centre based on our technology. We should focus on what is more important for residents of the peninsula. Probably, they mostly suffer from cardio-vascular diseases. That said I’d like to ask the Ministry of Healthcare to study this issue in cooperation with the Crimean executive authorities.
In addition, orphans and children in hardship will undergo annual medical examinations before 1 November.
Now I’d like to say a few words about the educational system. Starting 1 September over 200,000 Crimean schoolchildren will start studying under programmes based on Russian federal standards. Crimean schools will be supplied with the required number of Russian textbooks and teachers will attend retraining courses in summer.
Dmitry Medvedev: "About 42 million roubles have already been allocated for creating conditions for fitness and sports classes in urban and rural schools of the peninsula. These funds will be spent on the repair of gyms, construction of new sports grounds and purchase of equipment. Of course, these are just the first steps."
It is important to put the school infrastructure in order. About 42 million roubles have already been allocated for creating conditions for fitness and sports classes in urban and rural schools of the peninsula. These funds will be spent on the repair of gyms, construction of new sports grounds and purchase of equipment. Of course, these are just the first steps.
We’ve just been to Crimea’s best school – Gymnasium No. 1. This is a historical school. We don’t have many schools like it in this country. It is 200 years old. It has a rich academic history but it doesn’t look great, to put it mildly. I won't even mention other schools.
Dmitry Medvedev: "Current school graduates (there are about 19,000 of them) will take exams under the programme they have studied but will receive Russian diplomas. I was told that at least 2,000 school graduates, and probably even more, will have an opportunity to take the Unified State Exam in special centres in Sevastopol, Simferopol, Kerch and Feodosia.<...> From 2015 to 2016 all entrance procedures will be based on the requirements of the Unified State Exam for this country."
Current school graduates (there are about 19,000 of them) will take exams under the programme they have studied but will receive Russian diplomas. I was told that at least 2,000 school graduates, and probably even more, will have an opportunity to take the Unified State Exam in special centres in Sevastopol, Simferopol, Kerch and Feodosia. Others will have the opportunity to attend any universities on the basis of their entry requirements. From 2015 to 2016 all entrance procedures will be based on the requirements of the Unified State Exam for this country.
Government meeting
Now a few words about the development of higher education in Crimea. Naturally, we’re interested in having strong modern Russian universities there. In this context I think we should establish in Crimea a new federal university based on the leading educational institutions, including the Tavria Vernandsky Federal University.
It goes without saying that special attention should be paid to the development of the Artek children’s recreation centre. Obviously it should become one of the best in Russia and the rest of the world, such as Orlyonok and Okean. We’ll plan the required investment in the near future.
One more important issue is the development of tourism in Crimea. We have enormous prospects in this respect. The tourism potential in Crimea is tremendous, and may become a source of growth for the entire peninsula. Few Russian regions have as many cultural and historical sites as Crimea, as Sevastopol. Now that they have returned to Russia, we are simply obliged to preserve the historical legacy that we are rightly proud of.
For Crimea, tourism is not just a source of budget revenue, but in a sense, it is an earnest of its prosperity. Summer is approaching. The Government expects our public institutions (I’m addressing the heads of all ministries and departments present here, including your own government institutions) and companies to give their employees an opportunity to spend their vacations in Crimea. I’m positive that many people will be happy to discover anew the clean water of the Black Sea, its unique nature and local hospitality. I have no doubt that vacations in Crimea will leave them with unforgettable impressions.
Dmitry Medvedev: "The development of Crimean spas should launch sound competition with other domestic tourist centres."
Incidentally, the development of Crimean spas should launch sound competition with other domestic tourist centres. This is a good thing. Competition is always good. It will help the hospitality industry to upgrade services and reduce prices. In any event, both Crimeans and other Russian people will stand to gain from Crimea joining Russia.
Transport is the next issue. One of the tasks is to organise direct communication between Sevastopol and other Crimean cities. They should also be connected by a reliable transport system with other regions of Russia. I’m referring to sea routes, railways, automobile roads and new air flights. We must also deal with the reconstruction and modernisation of Crimean airports. It is essential to ensure free movement of people and cargo on the required scale, and we should prepare alternative routes with this aim in view.
There are over 6,000 kilometres of motor roads in Crimea and Sevastopol, two-thirds of which are local roads. These roads require attention and large-scale investments. We have identified a priority – I emphasise “priority”: construction projects, for which design specifications and estimates will be developed in two or three month time. I am primarily referring to the Simferopol-Alushta-Yalta section and bypass roads or so-called entrances to Simferopol and Sevastopol. Later this year, we will also start working on the Kerch-Feodosia section. In addition, the entire road network will be maintained and repaired in full conformity with the Russian standards.
For the upcoming summer, air carriers have scheduled over 3,000 flights, or 50% more than last year, when there were 1,800 flights. The important thing is not only to increase the frequency of flights – it goes without saying that this needs to be done – but also to cut ticket prices to at least 7,000 or 8,000 roubles, or possibly even lower in economy class. We must ensure lower prices than those charged on foreign routes, including Bulgaria and Turkey.
Dmitry Medvedev: "We have drafted a decision to put a large number of routes on the subsidised air carriage list similar to the programme operating in respect to the Kaliningrad Region. We are planning to double the carrying capacity of the Kerch rail ferry, which will ensure the independence of freight delivery to the Crimean peninsula. As I said, it is a cinch that we will build a bridge across the Kerch Strait."
We have drafted a decision to put a large number of routes on the subsidised air carriage list similar to the programme operating in respect to the Kaliningrad Region. We are planning to double the carrying capacity of the Kerch rail ferry, which will ensure the independence of freight delivery to the Crimean peninsula. As I said, it is a cinch that we will build a bridge across the Kerch Strait. Right now, we should analyse all available options – a combined rail-and-motor bridge or two separate bridges. All of this should be studied. We will make a choice as soon as we analyse the feasibility studies. Simultaneously, a Kerch port development project will be drawn up, which will transform Kerch into a leading Russian Black Sea port.
The state of the housing and utilities sector in Crimea and Sevastopol is a separate issue. I will not conceal the fact that this state is deplorable. A lot of effort, time and money will be needed to change the situation for the better. It is of fundamental importance for us to make each resident of Crimea feel comfortable. We will try to resolve this problem. A comprehensive survey of the housing and utilities sector must be held so that we can immediately get down to practical work. We must decide how to overhaul housing, to resettle people from unfit and dilapidated houses and to lower the cost of housing construction in Crimea and Sevastopol.
Dmitry Medvedev: "Let me remind you, colleagues, that earlier this year we started implementing the Housing for the Russian Family programme. It is a large, good and serious programme. Not so long ago, I chaired a meeting of the Presidium of our Council on National Projects, which discussed this topic. Crimea and Sevastopol will join this programme."
Let me remind you, colleagues, that earlier this year we started implementing the Housing for the Russian Family programme. It is a large, good and serious programme. Not so long ago, I chaired a meeting of the Presidium of our Council on National Projects, which discussed this topic. Crimea and Sevastopol will join this programme. Right now, the majority of local Russian families cannot afford to buy housing. Economy-class flats and houses could be a good solution. And, of course, we should promote mortgage credit lending in order for this tool to become accessible for our citizens in Crimea and Sevastopol.
Water supply is a major problem in the housing and utilities sphere. Currently, Crimea is dependent on the North Crimean Canal that supplies water from the Dnieper.
This canal was built in the 1960s and the 1970s; for understandable reasons, its equipment has not been modernised and its wear and tear level has reached 80%. The wear and tear of the water supply infrastructure on the peninsula (I am referring to water conduits and pumping stations) exceeds 60%, or even more in some areas. The water loss, as it is pumped through these pipelines, is practically 50%.
Dmitry Medvedev: "We will do everything that we can to supply our citizens in Crimea and Sevastopol with clean fresh water. There are several options in this regard, including the Kuban Water project to build a pipeline from the territory of Kuban, a project to create several storage lakes on the Taman Peninsula, and plans to develop underground freshwater deposits in the Dzhankoi and Nizhnegorsk districts."
Of course, we will do everything that we can to supply our citizens in Crimea and Sevastopol with clean fresh water. There are several options in this regard, including the Kuban Water project to build a pipeline from the territory of Kuban, a project to create several storage lakes on the Taman Peninsula, and plans to develop underground freshwater deposits in the Dzhankoi and Nizhnegorsk districts.
One way of doing this is building a desalination plant. All these possibilities must be considered in the near future. We will choose the best one or ones and implement them.
With regard to power supply, it is critical that we ensure a reliable and independent power supply across Crimea, and fuel supplies for power plants. Mr Aksyonov and I just talked about this. There are two ways of going about it. One of them is to hook up Crimea to Russia’s unified power grid via the Kerch Strait. The other way is to build power plants on the peninsula. Both of them will be reviewed. The Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Economic Development and other departments will continue to monitor the power supply in Crimea around the clock.
In case of an emergency, we can use alternative power supply sources for powering, above all, socially important buildings. In particular, I’m referring to mobile gas turbine power plants and other options that are currently available.
With regard to heating, supplying heat to the Gagarinsky District of Sevastopol poses most problems and needs to be addressed as a top priority. City officials and utilities executives see the solution in decentralising the heating supply and building modular mini-boilers in each housing development. Let's analyse this option and decide on our course of action.
Dmitry Medvedev: "With regard to heating, supplying heat to the Gagarinsky District of Sevastopol poses most problems and needs to be addressed as a top priority. City officials and utilities executives see the solution in decentralising the heating supply and building modular mini-boilers in each housing development".
Agriculture, including viticulture, is important to the Crimean economy. The acreage in Crimea has slightly declined over the past two years due to bad weather, but today the winter crops do not cause any concern. There are enough seeds for spring sowing as well.
I was told that the equipment for the spring work is ready, but that there’s not enough of it. Fuel and lubricants are also in short supply. All of these issues will be resolved, including supplying 80-100 additional harvesters that stand ready to go to Crimea.
Livestock production in Crimea is declining, including the production of meat, milk and eggs. This stems from the fact that the Ukrainian budget underfunded the industry. It’s up to us to remedy this situation.
The Ministry of Agriculture is preparing a regional regulatory framework which will allow the agricultural sector of Crimea to become part of Russia’s nationwide state support mechanisms and, of course, the State Programme for Agricultural Development to 2020.
We will consider issues related to promoting viticulture and winemaking at a separate meeting. The total vineyard area on the peninsula is over 30,000 hectares. The quality of Crimean wine is well known in Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union. I suggest holding a meeting on promoting viticulture and winemaking in our core winemaking regions, i.e. the Caucasus and Crimea.
Dmitry Medvedev: "The total vineyard area on the peninsula is over 30,000 hectares. The quality of Crimean wine is well known in Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union. I suggest holding a meeting on promoting viticulture and winemaking in our core winemaking regions, i.e. the Caucasus and Crimea."
Let’s move on to supporting other economic sectors of Crimea. Our goal is to make Crimea attractive to investors, so that it can generate sufficient revenue to support its development. Such opportunities are available, and we have weighed all the pros and cons. We decided to create a special economic zone here with special customs and taxation rules and minimal administrative procedures.
It’s imperative that we organise the proper operation of the banking and payment system in Crimea as soon as possible. The first steps have already been taken, and we just talked about it. The territorial branches of the Bank of Russia have opened in the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol. Regional and local budgets, extra-budgetary funds and publicly funded institutions can now open business accounts and pay pensions and allowances.
However, other steps must be taken in order to fully include Crimea in the rouble zone. Russian roubles - banknotes and coins – have been delivered to Crimea in sufficient quantities. Lending institutions receive the full range of banking services in roubles. Now, our top priority is to expand the network of Russian banks in Crimea.
Individual deposits in Crimea are estimated at 90 billion roubles. Individual savings should be protected according to Russian regulations. To ensure this, we need to make use of the capabilities offered by the Deposit Insurance Agency and to adopt a package of laws to address an entire range of tasks to ensure the steady work of the Crimean financial system. The State Duma began reviewing these laws today.
In addition, we are ready to support companies that will invest in Crimea, work in our new regions and sign investment agreements with public authorities of the Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol. The companies that will carry out investment programmes in Crimea may be granted an exemption from certain taxes in accordance with the rules of the newly created special economic zone. The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Economic Development are now drafting corresponding regulations.
Dmitry Medvedev: "Russian roubles - banknotes and coins – have been delivered to Crimea in sufficient quantities. Lending institutions receive the full range of banking services in roubles. Now, our top priority is to expand the network of Russian banks in Crimea."
In the near future, we will need to make Crimea part of the Russian system of state registration of titles for real estate and real estate transactions and, thus, make it part of the state cadastral registration system. We cannot allow some shady operators to take advantage of this transition. By the way, it is also imperative that we put in place a state registration system for legal entities that operate across Crimea, both temporary and permanent. I expect my colleagues in the Government and the authorities of the Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol to come up with proposals. As we are aware, the Crimean authorities have introduced a moratorium on issuing land and privatising Crimean-owned property, pending the approval of the layout of infrastructure facilities pertaining to education, healthcare, defence and security. This should be done at a meeting on May 21. Please note – I would like the authorities of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, as well as the federal Government, to pay attention to this: we must base our decisions on the concerns of the business community, which is very sensitive to property issues. We must be cautious. Life is not about to end. It’s just beginning, and we must create the investment history of Crimea, which is now part of Russia. I hope this will be a better history.
Another important task is to form, as soon as possible, a public administration system in Crimea that is based on Russian legislation. It should be compact; I want all government executives to pay attention to the fact that it should be reasonably sized. Of course, it must be effective and in line with the needs of the Crimean people. We want the budget funds to be used primarily for addressing people’s needs, not paying bureaucrats’ salaries.
Dmitry Medvedev: "Another important task is to form, as soon as possible, a public administration system in Crimea that is based on Russian legislation. I want all government executives to pay attention to the fact that it should be reasonably sized. Of course, it must be effective and in line with the needs of the Crimean people. We want the budget funds to be used primarily for addressing people’s needs, not paying bureaucrats’ salaries."
Last week, the ministers of Defence and the Interior, senior executives of the Investigative Committee and the Federal Security Service worked in Crimea. We must put in place respective law enforcement, defence and security authorities in Crimea as soon as possible. This has a direct bearing on the rule of law and on security in Crimea, as well as our ability to respond to aggressive actions on the part of nationalists and extremists. To work effectively, these authorities must have access to reliable and secure communications. However, everyone should have access to federal databases and online instruments. Currently, the Defence Ministry takes care of the technical side of communications with Russia. A fibre-optic cable will be built and a channel independent of foreign communications companies will go live by mid-April.
I have more to say about the public administration system. The development of the Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol has become a government priority for us. Frankly, the solution to this problem will require a focused effort on the part of various departments and resolving a multitude of intersectoral issues. Thus, I believe it would be right to create a special federal executive authority to address the issues of Crimea and Sevastopol, similar to the one for the Far East. The President supported the Government's position on this issue. Two executive orders have been signed: one to create the Ministry for Crimea and the other to appoint Oleg Savelyev as Minister. I’d like all my colleagues to provide him with the necessary support.
Colleagues, addressing current issues should go hand in hand with drafting long-term development plans and programmes for Crimea and Sevastopol. As you are aware, we have decided to draft a special federal programme. It should be ready by July 1. Once implemented, it will allow us to create a good foundation for long-term development of the new Russian regions and, of course, to provide modern living conditions and high standards of living for the people of Crimea and Sevastopol. I plan to hold a meeting on drafting such a federal targeted programme in the near future. I’d like Mr Kozak and Mr Savelyev, as well as our other colleagues, to prepare the relevant proposals. We also expect Russian regions to join us in supporting the new regions, because it is our common endeavour.
Colleagues, there are more issues that we need to discuss than what I mentioned in my opening remarks. I believe that the participants of the Government meeting will cover other aspects of work in the new Russian regions, and will then do some actual work on location. But before we listen to what the relevant ministers have to say, I’d like to turn the floor over to heads of Crimea and Sevastopol. Mr Aksyonov, please go ahead.
Crimean Prime Minister Sergei Aksyonov
Sergei Aksyonov (Prime Minister of the Republic of Crimea): Mr Medvedev, may I speak from my seat?
First of all, thank you for holding this first Government meeting in Crimea. It is a momentous moment. I’m sure that the Government will be able to establish close contact with all the ministers concerned. We have analysed all the tasks set by the President and the Government, which include a draft request for necessary assistance in specific areas. The Crimean Council of Ministers is present here today; therefore, all the points you outlined in your speech will be examined and reported on. I can assure you that the Council is very reliable in terms of discipline and performance. We work here basically day and night and keep in touch with Mr Kozak. Mr Savelyev is constantly here, and we are keeping all the activity under control. You have outlined all the pressing issues, and you are well aware of the current situation. We are monitoring the tasks and instructions you gave us earlier and will make sure they are carried out promptly, without exception.
Sergei Aksyonov: "We believe the current conditions are conducive to establishing a special economic area in Crimea. This would allow us to straighten out our finances and to attract additional investment from outside the republic."
We believe the current conditions are conducive to establishing a special economic area in Crimea. This would allow us to straighten out our finances and to attract additional investment from outside the republic. We guarantee that at the government level and among housing and utility service providers, any corrupt practices will be eradicated, without exception, and businesspeople will have the opportunity to do business freely, and citizens will be protected from any extortions by officials – be they uniformed or not. We will ensure full cooperation with federal officials in this respect.
We will, of course, consult with you in order to avoid duplicating functions of the local ministries and agencies with those of various federal structures and to avoid expanding the staff and establishing more institutions and, therefore, more bureaucratic barriers for businesses. We will consult with you on this. We will develop our proposals regarding all the instructions that you gave us during your visit to the children’s hospital and the school – proposals to be discussed by a Government meeting.
We are open for communication with our colleagues from the ministries. I am certain this will be a productive cooperation, and Crimea will be able to demonstrate progress in social and economic issues. I would like to thank you, Mr Medvedev, and my colleagues, for holding this meeting.
Dmitry Medvedev: Thank you, Mr Aksyonov. Mr Chaly (Alexei Chaly), please.
Alexei Chaly (Acting Mayor of Sevastopol): I will try to be more specific on the current social and economic issues of Sevastopol.
First of all, the post-revolution period in the city is, thank God, quite peaceful.
Essential facilities are operating as normal. People are quite positive. But we can’t use this credit forever because there are issues I would like to mention. For the time being, only land purchase deals have been suspended to prevent violations and malpractices that began in these murky waters.
Alexei Chaly: "We dissolved self-defence groups, and the city is now under the intense supervision of law enforcement services and commanders of the Black Sea Navy."
By Resolution № 53 of the legislative assembly dated 17 March, we have transferred public offices and state-run companies to municipal ownership – most of them only temporarily, for the transition period. Many of them were involved in violations that we had to deal with because they were still carrying out orders from Kiev (destruction of documents, removing valuables and so on). A number of directors had to be replaced. So we were really busy doing that, but now everything is more or less calm there. We only examine incidents if they arise. We dissolved self-defence groups, and the city is now under the intense supervision of law enforcement services and commanders of the Black Sea Navy. Thanks to Mr Vitko (Alexander Vitko, Commander of the Russian Black Sea Navy) for this support.
The good news is that pensions are paid in roubles starting Friday.
The bad news is that currently there is no approved organisational structure that could be suitable for budget payments, like the one in Crimea. We are cooperating with various agencies, but currently there is no such structure. On Sunday afternoon, the latest proposal was developed on what it should be like, but it has not been put into practice yet. I would like all the three institutions – the Finance Ministry, the Justice Ministry and the Central Bank, to sit down with us, and we will develop a chart and get approval within one day so that we can continue working as usual.
As far as I know, there is also a problem with conversion. Companies keep their funds in hryvnias, and it’s not exactly clear how the staff will be paid. That is all concerning the most pressing issues.
There are issues that may arise in a week. You know that Privatbank, the largest bank in Crimea and Sevastopol, is in such condition that customers’ deposits are frozen.
Dmitry Medvedev: Our colleagues present here are aware of all these issues. These problems must indeed be resolved shortly with consideration for possible complications during the transition period. This requires prompt action and decisions to be made by both the Central Bank of Russia and the ministries represented here – and, of course, with the active involvement of the administration of the two Russian regions.
I will be waiting for your final proposals that take into account the events in these areas from the past few days – I mean, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I think the system will be working properly within a short time. The Central Bank will have all necessary regulations, and agreements with other counterparts will be reached.
Now I suggest we move on to the key topics on the agenda. I will pass the floor to my colleagues to report on the issues proposed for discussion today.
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