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Putin to visit Crimea on fifth anniversary of reunification

While in Simferopol, Putin will meet with members of the public and take part in events marking the fifth anniversary of the 2014 referendum and Crimea’s reunification with Russia

MOSCOW, March 18. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit the Crimean cities of Sevastopol and Simferopol on March 18 to attend events marking the fifth anniversary of Crimea’s reunification with Russia, the presidential press service said in a statement.

"On March 18, 2019, Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Crimea and Sevastopol," the statement reads.

According to the Kremlin press service, the president will receive reports about the launch of the Balaklava and Tavria thermal power plants and participate in the unveiling ceremony of the Port electric substation in the city of Taman via videoconference.

While in Simferopol, Putin will meet with members of the public and take part in events marking the fifth anniversary of the 2014 referendum and Crimea’s reunification with Russia.

Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not rule out that Putin would also hold a meeting with the head of a French delegation, President of the French-Russian Dialogue Association Thierry Mariani, who is currently on a visit to Crimea.

Crimean reunification

After Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich was ousted in a coup in February 2014, mass protests erupted in Crimea and eastern Ukraine. On March 11, 2014, Crimea’s Supreme Council and Sevastopol City Council adopted a declaration of independence.

On March 16, 2014, Crimean authorities held a referendum on reuniting with Russia. Over 80% of voters participated in the plebiscite, most of them supporting the idea (96.7% in Crimea and 95.6% in the city of Sevastopol).

On March 18, President Vladimir Putin signed the treaty on Crimea’s reunification with Russia and the Federal Assembly (parliament) approved the document on March 21. However, Kiev has so far refused to acknowledge Crimea as part of Russia.

"One thing is for certain: the day when Crimea reunified with Russia and the fifth anniversary of the reunification is very important date for all Russians so there should be no doubt that Putin will participate in these events," Peskov told reporters, commenting on the anniversary of the 2014 reunification.

New energy

Russia’s federal program for the development of Crimea and Sevastopol currently stands at 877.8 bln rubles ($13.5 bln). The money is primarily intended for the construction of energy and water supply facilities, as well as for the development of transport infrastructure.

The first stages of the two thermal power plants in Simferopol and Sevastopol were put into operation on January 25, 2019.

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