MOSCOW, May 29 (RIA Novosti) – Crimean Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Temirgaliev told RIA Novosti on Thursday the republic is expecting to welcome Chinese investors to discuss the restart of large-scale construction projects within the next month.
The deputy premier said Chinese business have expressed great interest in a deep-water port project in the city of Yevpatoria, in southwestern Crimea.
“By the end of June, we expect a visit of Chinese investors to the republic’s territory to discuss a roadmap for the implementation of this and other projects,” he said.
He added the project to build a bridge from Crimea to Russia over the Strait of Kerch was another lucrative investment target for Chinese sponsors.
Crimea, previously an autonomous republic within Ukraine, refused to recognize the legitimacy of the government in Kiev, which seized power as a result of a coup in February, instead rejoining Russia after a referendum that saw over 96 percent of voters in the region back the motion to leave Ukraine.
Crimea and Sevastopol, which has a special status within the region, became subjects of the Russian Federation on March 21 after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed reunification documents into law.
Russia has repeatedly said that Ukrainian nationalists and the government’s attempts to forcefully assimilate the Russian-speaking minority bore full responsibility for the civil crisis in the country which resulted in the reunification of Crimea with Russia.
