Full reintegration of Ukrainian territories after their liberation from Russian invaders will last about 25 years, suggests Oleksiy Reznikov, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for the Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories.
The comment came as Reznikov, who is also first deputy chief of the Ukrainian delegation to the Trilateral Contact Group, was speaking with the BBC Ukraine.
Reznikov believes he will not be the last minister for reintegration.
"Full-fledged reintegration, which should not be confused with de-occupation, will be at least generation-long, that is, it will last approximately 25 years... First it's de-occupation, demilitarization, re-establishment of constitutional order, and then the painstaking process of full-fledged reintegration," the minister reflected.
"I still hope that I'll see de-occupation take place while I'm in office – I can feel it," Reznikov said.
Earlier, commenting on damage inflicted on the occupied territories in Donbas by Russian occupation, Reznikov said Ukraine had sustained some UAH 120 billion in property losses, according to various estimates.
"According to the Vienna Institute for International Economic Research though, the minimum amount required to have the region revived will stand at about $22 billion," the official stressed.
Reznikov added that the figures he voiced were "tentative," at the same time reiterating the fact that these figures are "colossal."
Occupied territories: Related
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