New economic strategy for eastern Ukraine to be tabled to parliament in spring 2021 – minister's advisor

Ukraine is developing a new economic strategy for the country's east, which is set to be submitted to the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, in the spring of 2021, said Andriy Miroshnichenko, an advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories.

Speaking during the conference of the National Platform "Dialogue on Peace and Safe Reintegration," he said the strategy would mainly focus on the development of those parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions that are now under control of the Ukrainian government.

According to the National Platform, the strategy is focused on creating comfortable conditions for the population and increasing the number of jobs. Local communities are expected to become the backbone of economic growth. The logic of the strategy is to create an attractive business environment that, through paying taxes, will ensure the sustainable development of communities.

Read alsoWorld Bank to allocate US$100 mln to restore economy of Ukraine-controlled areas of DonbasDuring his address, Miroshnichenko said such approaches as fundamental support on the ground, as well as the need for the state to take responsibility for basic infrastructure and the environment, had been taken into account when drafting the concept of economic development of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

"It was from these approaches that we proceeded in working on the concept of economic development of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The country must create conditions for businesses, while businesses must pay taxes, and taxes will form the budgets of communities, and communities will take upon themselves the work on creating convenient conditions for the people," the advisor said.

First Deputy Minister for Reintegration of the Temporary Occupied Territories Rostyslav Zamlynskyi, who was present at the conference, said that security and transparent rules for doing business should be in the first place.

"The state should also invest in the development of entrepreneurship. Donetsk and Luhansk regions are the former industrial region. There is already infrastructure there, but the government must also invest in infrastructure development and road facilities," he said.

Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories Oleksiy Reznikov said the complete safe reintegration of the occupied regions of Donbas in Ukraine, including the completion of mine clearance, would take at least 25 years.