Donetsk Republic calls on Kiev to stop economic blockade

Head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) Alexander Zakharchenko called on Kiev to consider the losses incurred from the continuing economic blockade of Donbas.
"Donbas is a colossal market of sales and raw materials. We control over 50% of coal in former Ukraine, produce about 20% of electricity, we have about 30% of agricultural land, we have access to the sea," he said in an interview with the Donetsk news agency on Friday. "I think, Ukraine should think twice what it is losing from this blockade."
The blockade is a political decision, by means of which the Ukrainian government wants to bar construction of peaceful life, to destabilize the situation in the social sphere.
"I doubt, they will manage it," he said. "The losses they have now cannot be compared with the missed benefits they have. I hope common sense and economic feelings would prevail, and they will refuse from blockade in favour of a correct decision."
Earlier, Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko said 10% of the country’s industrial potential was lost in the military actions in the south-eastern regions.

Donetsk Republic relies on Russia in development of investment climate
Good economic climate and organization of stable cooperation with Russian businesses are priorities for the financial authorities of the DPR, the republic’s head, Alexander Zakharchenko said in an interview with the Donetsk news agency on Friday.
"Our basic task now is to offer a good economic climate, so that our entrepreneurs could make without worries their trade and monetary operations with the Russian Federation," he said. "Businesses will be able to find ways to work in order to provide the republic with food products and to make money."
"The process is developing now," he said. "Our ministers are going there all the time, and now, for example, our minister of economy is in Russia, where he has meetings with businessmen."

Head of Donetsk Republic promises assistance in employment of militia as military conflict is over
Authorities of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic will offer assistance in employment of the militia, Zakharchenko went on to say.
"I am absolutely confident that people, involved from the very first days in construction of the Donetsk People’s Republic, in establishment of its statehood, protection of the country, should continue participating in the process of peaceful construction at any positions and in any directions they are capable of," he said. "Doors are open for them."
"People, who risked their lives, I believe, will be working even better to restore the peaceful life in this country; to make it booming, so that we could demonstrate to the world we can make this country booming and independent," he said.
Achievements in development of the peaceful live will become for the militia veterans their "second victory," the republic’s head said.
Peace in Donetsk Republic will help it develop much quicker
DPR restoration will be much quicker if long-awaited peace establishes in the region, the republic’s head added.
"If peace comes, all our forces and means, the experience our ministries and authorities have, will be aimed at restoration," he said. "Our expenses incurred from the military actions, will be aimed at restoration of the economy."
With established peace, the republic will be able to use both material and human resources.
"What is taking a month now will be done within several days then," he said. "We shall be able to use big human and material resources."

Minsk agreements
On February 12, members of the Trilateral Contact Group on the Ukrainian conflict settlement signed a four-page set of measures to implement the earlier Minsk agreements.
The set of agreed measures envisages Ukraine’s constitutional reform with the country’s new constitution talking effect by late 2015. The key element of the new constitution will be power decentralization and adoption of permanent legislation on a special status for certain districts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in Ukraine’s south-east. According to Item 4 of the Minsk agreements, Kiev agreed that within a 30-day period of time the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) would adopt a draft law on a special political and economic status for certain parts in Donbass. The deadline expires on March 14.