Donetsk, Feb 1 - DAN. The Donetsk People’s Republic integration with the Russian Federation contributes to the development of the Donbass region’s industrial potential, DPR Head Denis Pushilin said in an interview to the Donetsk News Agency.

“Donbass is an industrial region, so it is logical to prioratise its coal production, metallurgy, machine building and chemical industry,” Pushilin said. “In this respect, we count on deeper integration processes between Donbass and Russia.”

He said that in this connection, plans were in place to expand the Russian Centre’s geography of cooperation with Russian provinces. A business platform will be set up to strengthen the DPR-Russian partnership, the DPR leader added.

In 2019, DPR authorities will focus on developing heavy industry, coal production, machine building and chemical industry, Pushilin said.*jk