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Russia suspends talks with Ukraine on Kerch bridge project

KRASNOYARSK, February 28. /ITAR-TASS/. The Russian Transport Ministry has no talks with Ukraine at present to implement infrastructure projects, including construction of a bridge across the Kerch Strait, Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov told Itar-Tass on the sidelines of the Krasnoyarsk Economic Forum.

"For known reasons, talks are not underway now, though we recently actively worked with the former Ukrainian government on the Kerch bridge construction strictly according to schedule following the president's order. We hope the situation will stabilize and we will continue all the projects," he said.

In late January, the Ukrainian government approved an agreement with Russia on cooperation to build a transport bridge across the Kerch Strait. The document envisages geological research and technical and economic substantiation of the project. The Crimean government earlier estimated the cost of the project at three billion dollars.

The Ukrainian Supreme Rada on Thursday endorsed a new government of Ukraine with Arseniy Yatsenyuk as prime minster, while tension was increasing in Crimea, where activists of the Russian-speaking population's self defense took control of the buildings of the parliament and the government.

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