"The volume of investments amounts to tens of billions of rubles. Road construction, the modernization of healthcare and education are developing at a good pace," Aksyonov said in an interview with the Russian Federation Today magazine, stressing that "growth in all the sectors of the economy and the social sphere could be considered the success of the year [2016]."
The head of Crimea stressed that if Washington recognizes the referendum that led to Crimea rejoining Russia, it would a positive signal for all and the acceptance of reality.
"It is hard to tell how [US] president[-elect] Donald Trump would act, but he would have to take this request [of the society] into account either way. So there is hope for the better. But regardless of the stance that Trump takes, Crimea is de facto and de jure part of Russia. This does not depend on the opinions of the leaders of foreign states," Aksyonov said.
Crimea, which has a predominately ethnically-Russian population, seceded from Ukraine to rejoin Russia in March 2014, following a referendum in which over 96 percent of the voters supported the move. The Ukrainian government and many Western nations refused to recognize the legality of the vote and introduced sanctions against the region and Russia.
