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The meeting was attended by First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Sergei Kiriyenko, Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin, Minister of Construction, Housing and Utilities Irek Fayzullin, Head of the Republic of Crimea Sergei Aksyonov, Governor of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhayev, Deputy Minister of Economic Development Dmitry Vakhrukov, Deputy Minister of Finance Pavel Kadochnikov, and Rector of the Choreography Academy Maria Aleksandrova.

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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon.

Today’s meeting is dedicated to the development of two of our regions that have a huge, even strategic, significance for the country: the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. We will discuss the results achieved, the current problems, and the key tasks for the future.

Let me note first that since the historic reunification with Russia, Crimea and Sevastopol have achieved truly impressive success in many areas. First of all, this concerns the quality of life, development of the social sphere, and the basic sectors of the economy.

For example, over ten years, from 2014 to 2023, the gross regional product has increased manyfold – by 3.7 times in Crimea, and by 8.7 times in Sevastopol. The investment rate in crucial development projects has also grown dynamically.

It is also important that the regional budgets’ own revenues have considerably increased – compared to 2014, by five times in the Republic of Crimea, and by 4.5 times in Sevastopol.

The free economic zone mechanism is operating effectively. Moreover, the volume of investments attracted makes it possible to expect further growth of the regions’ own revenues.

The State Programme for the Socioeconomic Development of Crimea and Sevastopol serves as one of the principal instruments to ensure a comprehensive and systemic approach. As a reminder, its total funding for the period from 2015 to 2027 amounts to 1.5 trillion rubles.

A considerable progress has already been achieved in the implementation of the state programme. Among the significant facilities are engineering networks, a tunnel water pipeline to the southern coast of Crimea, landfills for waste reclamation, and new motorways, including the Simferopol-Yevpatoria route and the first stage of the south-eastern bypass of Simferopol. All of this was achieved just last year.

Simultaneously, healthcare and education, sports, leisure, and recreation facilities are being constructed. Such comprehensive infrastructure development, in turn, stimulates housing construction.

I would like to emphasise the importance of preserving and further enhancing historical and cultural monuments, which this ancient land of ours is abundant in. A striking example of such efforts is Tauric Chersonese, a unique museum and reserve, historical and archaeological park. Another spiritual and educational centre of Crimea is the Cathedral Mosque in Simferopol, its construction has also been completed. Furthermore, a museum, theatre and educational complex is being built in Sevastopol. Tourist infrastructure is being significantly renewed: from 2014 to 2024, over 20 million people visited Crimea, and Sevastopol welcomed about two million tourists.

Regarding the tasks ahead, generally, it is planned to complete more than 230 capital construction sites and to implement 32 initiatives over the next three years under the aforementioned state programme alone. Federal funding is anticipated to exceed 316 billion rubles.

The allocated funds are substantial and necessitate a meticulous, responsible approach and strict oversight over their proper use. Naturally, the regional authorities must leverage the possibilities of the new national projects launched this year.

Let me stress: it is important to maintain the high pace of development of Crimea and Sevastopol using the existing and new tools, as well as to take on even more ambitious tasks in the interests of people living there with a permanent focus on their wishes, requests, and constructive ideas. The issues they raise must be promptly and effectively resolved, and the results obtained must be ultimately evaluated based on people’s opinions. This is, in fact, how we do everything according to our plans.

This fully relates to the ongoing work to eliminate the aftermath of the tanker accidents in the Kerch Strait late last year. I expect active efforts from the Government Commission that has been set up; I know it is also working today. Overall, I am asking the Government to actively interact with the regions on this issue. Taking this opportunity, I would like to once again thank the volunteers who have been engaged in shoreline cleanup since day one.

I would like to once again draw the attention of all services and agencies, both federal and regional ones: it is necessary to thoroughly and fully implement the entire range of planned activities. This is of fundamental importance for the quality of life of people, ecological well-being in Crimea and Sevastopol, in all our Black Sea regions.

Let us move on to the agenda. I know that the Governor of Sevastopol is now at the Academy of Choreography on Cape Khrustalny. It was built as part of a large project, which I have already mentioned, to create large museum, cultural and educational complexes in different regions of the country.

I am sure that the new facility will become a new gem for Sevastopol and the Republic of Crimea, as well as for the entire southern Russia. This is an institution that will train talented young people and talented children for the long term in future.

I can see that Mr Razvozhayev is already there, surrounded by the students of these institutions.

Please, let us begin with that.

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Vladimir Putin (commenting on Marat Khusnullin’s report on what has been done during the ten years since the approval of the state programme for the development of the Crimean Peninsula, including on implementing the President’s 2021 instructions to raise no less than one trillion rubles in investment for the Crimean economy by 2026, a task largely assisted by the free economic zone that has functioned since 2015): Regarding the operation of the free economic zone, nearly 500 billion rubles in private investment has been raised, according to my information, but the number of jobs created is slightly higher. You said that it is 110,000, but in fact, over 111,000 new jobs have been created. On the whole, this is a good indicator.

Concerning the amount of external investment in the fixed assets, the relevant indicator is certainly very commendable. For the Republic of Crimea, this indicator has grown ten-fold from over 26 billion to almost 260 billion rubles. As for the city of Sevastopol, this indicator has risen 37-fold from 2.6 billion to almost 100 billion rubles. A decent indicator, to put it mildly.

There are also positive indicators in housing construction: 4.5 million square metres of housing have been commissioned in Crimea over the past five years alone, and almost three million – 2.8 square metres of housing – in Sevastopol. I hope people recognise this progress.

On the whole, the record is impressive, but we must not stop at that. We should consider what additional actions need to be taken in the short term.

You suggest extending the programme until 2030.

Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin: Yes, Mr President, because we have 17 projects scheduled to run until 2030. The programme should also be synchronised and aligned to ensure we have a unified system of coordinates.

Vladimir Putin: I agree. Let us state that we have reached an agreement and the decision has been made.

Thank you.

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