MOSCOW, March 18./TASS/. Crimea had to rescued from the abject state that it faced before reuniting with Russia, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.
"It was necessary to pull Crimea out of this abject state, out of the abject state that which Crimea and Sevastopol were plunged in when they were part of another state that financed these territories with whatever funds remain," Putin told a gala concert at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium, marking the reunification of Crimea and Russia.
Putin reiterated that since 2014, the country has done a lot to ‘uplift’ Crimea and Sevastopol. "There are certain things that cannot be seen immediately with the naked eye. They are of fundamental nature - gas and energy supply, communal services, the restoration of the road network, construction of new roads, highways and new bridges," he stressed.
The Russian authorities know what to do further and how, he pledged. "We will certainly put all plans into practice," Putin stressed.
Over 203,000 people attend the concert at Luzhniki, the press service of the Moscow police department told journalists. Police and other law enforcement officers ensure law and order at the concert.
After a coup took place in Ukraine in February 2014, the Crimean authorities held a referendum on reuniting with Russia. Most voters supported the idea (96.7% in Crimea and 95.6% in the city of Sevastopol), with turnout reaching 80%. In March 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the treaty on Crimea’s reunification with Russia, which was ratified by the Federal Assembly on March 21, 2014. However, Kiev refused to recognize Crimea’s independence and its decision to reunite with Russia.