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Ukraine: Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev in Crimea visit Ukraine angered by Russia PM Medvedev's visit to Crimea
(about 2 hours later)
Russia's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev is visiting Crimea - the most senior Russian official to travel there since it was annexed from Ukraine. Ukraine has condemned a visit by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to Crimea, describing it as a "crude violation" of international rules.
Mr Medvedev announced that the region would become a special economic zone, with incentives for businesses. The foreign ministry has sent a note protesting against the presence of an official in "the territory of another state without preliminary agreement".
The Russian government says it is creating a new ministry to deal with Crimea and Sevastopol. Earlier, Mr Medvedev announced he would make Crimea a special economic zone.
Moscow's annexation of Crimea earlier this month has sparked international condemnation. Crimeans voted to leave Ukraine for Russia on 16 March, in a poll condemned as illegal by the UN General Assembly.
Ukraine's foreign ministry described the Russian prime minister's visit as a "crude violation" of the rules of the international community, according to the Reuters news agency. Tensions over Ukraine rose after the overthrow of pro-Kremlin Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in February, following months of street protests.
Mr Medvedev, leading a delegation of government ministers to the peninsula's main city Simferopol, said that no-one in Crimea should lose anything in the accession to Russia, according to the Russian government's Twitter feed. 'State priority'
Pensions and public sector salaries would be increased, it added. In televised remarks during his visit to Crimea's main city of Simferopol, Mr Medvedev said the peninsula's development was a "state priority".
The government also announced health insurance for Crimea residents and the introduction of Russian educational standards in schools. "People in Crimea mustn't lose anything after joining Russia, they must only make gains," he explained.
The Russian prime minister described the development of Crimea as a "state priority". "People expect us to create conditions for calm and respectable life, confidence in tomorrow, the feeling of being part of a strong country. We must meet these expectations."
"I am not going to conceal it: the resolution of this task will require very significant concentration of efforts," he said in an address broadcast on Russian state television. The prime minister announced that he had created a special ministry to oversee the development of Crimea, where two million people live.
It also would create a special economic zone to attract investors with lower taxes and reduced bureaucracy, and seek to ensure air fares from Russia would be cheap enough to develop the peninsula as a top tourist destination, he added.
He also vowed to quickly boost salaries and pensions, introduce Russian educational standards in local schools, and improve healthcare and local infrastructure.
Mr Medvedev added that Russia would work to ensure the peninsula had a stable power and water supplies. It currently gets about 80% of both from Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the lower house of Russia's parliament voted unanimously to annul several agreements with Ukraine that allowed the Russian Black Sea Fleet to be based at Sevastopol.
There were also conflicting reports about the number of Russian troops on the border with Ukraine.
A Ukrainian defence ministry official, Maj-Gen Oleksandr Rozmaznin, said the figure had dropped by as many as 10,000 soldiers, but noted this might be the result of a rotation of conscripts rather than a planned withdrawal.
The Russian defence ministry press service also reported that a motor-rifle battalion had completed its deployment in the Rostov region, which borders Ukraine.
Sources at Nato said there had been some indications of troop movements, but that it was hard to evaluate their significance at this stage, reports the BBC's Jonathan Marcus in Brussels.
A senior Western diplomat told our correspondent that the approximately 40,000 soldiers in place still offered a huge potential for intimidation.
'Illegal and illegitimate''Illegal and illegitimate'
Meanwhile, four hours of "frank" talks on Sunday between the US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, ended without a breakthrough. Mr Medvedev's unexpected visit to Crimea came after "frank" talks on Sunday between the US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, ended without a breakthrough.
Mr Kerry told reporters in Paris that the US still considered Russia's takeover of Ukraine's Crimea region to be "illegal and illegitimate".Mr Kerry told reporters in Paris that the US still considered Russia's takeover of Ukraine's Crimea region to be "illegal and illegitimate".
He said he had stressed that no decision on Ukraine's future could be made without Kiev's involvement.He said he had stressed that no decision on Ukraine's future could be made without Kiev's involvement.
Earlier Mr Lavrov said Ukraine should become a loose federal state - a suggestion Kiev rejects as an attempt to dismember the country. Earlier Mr Lavrov said Ukraine should become a loose federal state - a suggestion Kiev has rejected as an attempt to dismember the country.
Russia's decision to take over Crimea - following the ousting of Ukraine's pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych after months of protests - has triggered a crisis in relations between Russia and the West. Russia's decision to take over Crimea has triggered a crisis in relations between Russia and the West.
The US and the European Union have imposed sanctions on members of President Vladimir Putin's inner circle and other officials. Russia has retaliated with its own sanctions on US lawmakers.The US and the European Union have imposed sanctions on members of President Vladimir Putin's inner circle and other officials. Russia has retaliated with its own sanctions on US lawmakers.
Phone call
Sunday's crisis talks between the US and Russia's top diplomats were hastily arranged following a phone call between Mr Putin and President Barack Obama on Friday evening.
The US says that Russia is massing troops on its border with eastern Ukraine, and fears that Moscow might seek to take over further areas of the country.
Ukraine's defence ministry said on Monday that Russia appeared to be reducing its troops on the Ukrainian border.
"In recent days, the Russian forces have been gradually withdrawing from the border," spokesman Oleksiy Dmytrashkivskiy was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.
As the rest of Europe put their clocks forward by one hour on Sunday morning, Crimea aligned its time with Moscow - jumping two hours ahead. Hundreds of people waving flags greeted the time change in Simferopol.
Voters in the mainly pro-Russian peninsula backed leaving Ukraine for Russia in a referendum on 16 March. But the vote has been condemned as illegal by Kiev and the UN General Assembly.