SIMFEROPOL, March 31. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has issued instructions to fully launch the functioning of the banking system on the Crimean Peninsula. He set this task at a meeting with the head of the government of the Republic of Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov.

“Naturally, the task is to fully launch the functioning of the monetary and credit system of Russia in the Republic of Crimea and in Sevastopol,” he said, adding that a number of decisions was to be taken with this end in view.

Medvedev expressed confidence that “all this will be done” within a short period of time “so that all residents of our country that live with you could feel comfortable and understand that a large state is behind them and their deposits, their money are secured by the assets of the Russian Federation, by the rules that are in effect in our country’s territory.”

Aksyonov for his part said that all the residents of the Crimea had already got wages and pensions calculated in roubles and all the relevant tasks of the Russian government in this sphere had been fulfilled.

Medvedev emphasised the importance of the present visit to Crimea. “The first our visit, our first business trip to the Republic of Crimea, to Sevastopol is a special day for me and all my colleagues in the government,” he said, adding that it is here that a visiting session of the government would be held at which the officials would focus on the most important aspects of the region’s development.