The European Commission is intending to give EUR 12 million for development of Crimea in 2010.
Ukrainian News learned this from a posting on the Web site of the Cabinet of Ministers.
An investment plan entitled “Joint Initiative on Cooperation in Crimea” is being drawn up.
“We expect this plan to be endorsed in the next year’s spring,” said the director of “E” Directorate for the questions of Eastern Europe, South Caucasus, and Central Asia of the General Directorate “Foreign Relations” of the European Commission, Gunnar Wiegand, during a meeting between Ukrainian First Vice Prime Minister Oleksandr Turchynov and ambassadors of European Union member states accredited in Ukraine.
According to Gunnar Wiegand, Crimea is an extremely important region with huge potential not only for Ukraine, but also for the entire Europe.
First Vice Prime Minister Turchynov said in his turn that the implementation of the program will be one of steps making Ukraine closer to the European Union.
According to the concept of the initiative, each interested member state of the European Union will cover certain direction of the development in Crimea.
In particular, Britain will be in charge of economic development of the peninsula, Sweden will be in charge of environment protection, the Netherlands will cover issues concerning the consolidation of civil society in Crimea.
At present, the initiative unites Finland, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Britain, and Lithuania.
Estonia has also affirmed its participation in the initiative.
The funding of the “Joint Initiative” will be provided not only from the funds of the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI), but also from separate donations from interested member states of the European Union and third parties (including international financial institutions).
As Ukrainian News earlier reported, the European Commission is to open a regional development agency in Crimea, focused on development of the resort-and-tourist sector and the autonomy’s agrarian sector.
The European Commission in early June opened two European Union information centers: at the Sevastopol National Technical University and at the Simferopol Verndasky Tavria National University.
