The peninsula has
adapted to the lack of water supply through the North Crimean Canal.
SIMFEROPOL, August
14. /TASS/. The water blockade was imposed on Crimea by Ukraine five years ago
but failed to achieve its goals, the peninsula has adapted to the lack of water
supply through the North Crimean Canal and is now developing successfully, head
of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov wrote on his Facebook page on Wednesday.
"The water
blockade failed to produce the results Kiev was expecting. There is no water
deficit for agricultural and drinking needs, the peninsula’s economy is
developing, tourist flow is increasing, while agriculture has adapted to the
new environment. But it does not change the fact that the attempt to deprive
more than two million people of freshwater is in itself state terrorism,"
he underscored.
According to
Aksyonov, a few statements were made by Kiev in the past few days regarding the
water blockade of Crimea.
"Essentially,
they are signaling that the new Ukrainian leadership believes that shutting off
water supply through the North Crimean Canal is a right and lawful strategy.
<…> Presidents, politicians and party banners change, while approaches
remain. This is a clear testament to the fact that the alternation of power in
itself does not guarantee that it’s quality improves. <…> The water
blockade of Crimea is a part of the anti-Russian strategy of the West," he
added.
Crimea first faced
water shortage in April 2014, when Ukraine stopped supplying Dnieper water
through the North Crimean Canal, which used to meet 90% of the peninsula’s
necessities. The eastern and northern parts of Crimea were the hardest hit by
water shortage back then.
The Republic of
Crimea and Sevastopol, a city with a special status on the Crimean Peninsula,
where most residents are Russians, refused to recognize the legitimacy of the
authorities in Kiev who seized power amid riots that sparked a coup in Ukraine
in February 2014.
Crimea and Sevastopol
adopted declarations of independence on March 11, 2014. They held a referendum
on March 16, 2014, in which 96.77% of Crimeans and 95.6% of Sevastopol voters
chose to secede from Ukraine and join Russia. On March 18, 2014, Russian
President Vladimir Putin signed the reunification treaties. Despite the
convincing results of the referendum, Kiev refused to recognize Crimea as a
part of Russia.
Source: ITAR-TASS
14-08-2019
