New rules for the export of the Crimean defense-industrial complex

The Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation has prepared a draft presidential decree, stating the order of import and export of military goods under contracts signed before the Crimea became part of Russia. Under the new rules “Rosoboronexport” will be the mediator between the defense-industrial complex of the Republic of Crimea, the federal city of Sevastopol and their foreign customers.

“Rosoboronexport” and FSMTC will help the defense enterprises of Crimea and Sevastopol to fulfill obligations under contracts concluded before the peninsula joined to Russia.

FSMTC prepared a draft presidential decree stating the order of import and export of military products produced under such contracts.

There are about 30 defense companies on the Crimean peninsula.

Air links between the Crimea and 30 Russian cities to be established on June 1

On June 1, the Crimea will be linked by air with 30 cities of Russia, the number of weekly flights will increase to 330, said Monday the Minister of Transport Maxim Sokolov at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev.

According to him, even now prices for the tickets to the Crimea are lower, in particular Aeroflot decreased them almost to the verge of profitability. So, Aeroflot’s one way ticket from Moscow to Simferopol costs 4000 rubles, both ways – 7500, the Minister reminded.

“Starting from June 1, there will be organized air traffic between Simferopol and Nizhnevartovsk, Tyumen, Nizhny Novgorod, St. Petersburg, Irkutsk – generally 30 cities on regular air routes,” – said Sokolov. Last year, taking into account the charter flights planes flew to Crimea only from seven Russian cities, he added.

Putin: the Council of legislators should help the Crimea to integrate Russia

The Council of legislators should act as a “lobbyist” of regional interests, including help new subjects of the federation – Crimea and Sevastopol – as quickly as possible to adapt to the single economic, social, humanitarian space in the country, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

The Council of legislators was created by lawmakers in 2012. It includes the leaders of federal and regional parliaments and deals with legislative support by means of the division of powers between the federal center and the regions, improving the mechanisms for implementing the main powers of parliaments and their interaction.

Putin reminded that there had already been accepted fundamental laws: the Constitution of the Republic of Crimea and the Charter of the City of Sevastopol, which defined the system of the authorities, their powers and principles of work in accordance with Russian legislation.

Vladimir Putin holds a meeting in Petrozavodsk on the development of monocities

Russian President Vladimir Putin on April 28 visited Petrozavodsk, where he met with the members of the legislature of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, as well as held a meeting on sustainable development of single-industry towns. “At a meeting with the members of the board of legislators there was discussed a wide range of issues, including the implementation of the May presidential decrees and implementation of the December Message of the president, on the integration of the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol in the Russian Federation, as well as the problems of local government”, – explained the press-service.

The meeting on sustainable development of single-industry towns was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich, presidential aide Andrei Belousov, federal ministers, heads of regions, as well as representatives of business circles.

Deputy Defense Ministers Tatyana Shevtsova, Nikolai Pankov, Dmitry Bulgakov and Ruslan Tsalikov made a working trip to the Crimea

Deputy Defense Ministers Army Gen. Dmitry Bulgakov, Nikolai Pankov, Tatyana Shevtsova and Ruslan Tsalikov during their working trip visited a number of social and military infrastructure objects of the Black Sea Fleet (BSF), located on the territory of Crimea, the press service of the Ministry of Defense reported.

In particular, in Sevastopol Deputy Defense Ministers visited the construction site of the Presidential Cadet School, as well as the location of the Black Sea Higher Naval School named after P.S. Nakhimov, where they discussed the training of military personnel, the concept of reconstruction and repair of the school.

In the waters of the port of Sevastopol deputy defense ministers inspected objects of the berthing areas and coastal infrastructure, which need overhaul and reconstruction. The delegation heard the reports on the repair of berths in bays Yuzhnaya, Gollandiya, Inzhenernaya and Karantinnaya, meant for moorage of new Black Sea Fleet ships, and also discussed the engineering equipment of the mooring pier zone, timing and stages of work.

Lavrov: Russia is grateful to China for an objective position on the events in Ukraine

Russia is grateful to China for an objective position on Ukrainian events, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov after talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

According to Lavrov, the use of force to settle the situation is unacceptable.

Wang Yi stressed that China “is not interested in further destabilization of the situation in Ukraine.”

Lavrov noted that the presidents of Russia and China would meet more than once this year, including the BRICS, SCO and APEC summits, the latter will be held in Beijing.

“Today we have discussed the preparation for the main event of the year – the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to China and our president’s participation in the meeting on Interaction and Confidence in Asia, to be held in Shanghai in May,” – said the Russian minister.

Russia employs over 16,000 former servicemen and personnel of Ukrainian armed forces

More than 16,000 former servicemen and civilian personnel of the Ukrainian armed forces have been employed in the military service and given civilian jobs in the Russian armed forces, First Deputy Defense Minister Arkady Bakhin said at an intercom conference held at the situation center of the Defense Ministry on Tuesday.

“The Russian citizenship was given to 9,268 former servicemen and personnel of the Ukrainian armed forces who were employed in the military service in the Russian armed forces on a contract basis,” Bakhin said. “All of them have already received Russian passports,” he added, ITAR-TASS reports.

In accordance with the instructions issued by the Russian defense minister of April 3, 2014, drills have been organized for newly employed officers who are trained on programs of upgraded professional education at educational establishments of the Russian defense ministry. Besides, a total of 7,050 former civilian personnel of the Ukrainian armed forces have been employed at the units of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, Bakhin said.

Acting head of the Ministry of Industry of the Crimea: China is interested in cooperation with defense companies

Crimean defense enterprises can continue to produce products for the Chinese customers, said acting Minister of Industrial Policy Andrei Skrinnik to the agency Kryminform.

He noted that a number of enterprises of the Crimea worked on orders from China. “The Chinese partners are still very interested in cooperation on the implementation of all contracts,” – said the acting Minister.

According to him, “now there is even pressure from the customers (from China) on “Ukroboroneksport” and on “Ukrspecexport” which received money for products of the Crimean enterprises, shipped to China, and did not pass them on to the Crimean enterprises.”

Military enterprises of the Crimea to receive the state order the Russian Defense Ministry

The Russian military command made a register of companies of military-industrial complex of Crimea, which could join the implementation of the state order of the Defense Ministry. The document contains 23 companies.

10 of them specialize in radioelectronic industry, 6 in shipbuilding, 3 in aviation and one is engaged in mechanical engineering.

It is noted that the vast majority of production capacities is concentrated in Sevastopol and Feodosiya.

Experts do not deny that the military enterprises of the republic will need large investments because the manufacturing base of many of them is seriously outdated.

Medvedev chairs meeting on socio-economic development of the Crimea

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on April, 11 held a meeting on topical issues of socio-economic development of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, the press service of the Russian government reported.

At the meeting there was discussed the increase of pensions and salaries for public employees, the measures to ensure sustainability of the banking, tax, payment and settlement systems. There was also discussed the sustainable electricity supply, sustainable work of wireline and wireless telephonic communication.