In Salekhard, Governor of the Murmansk Region Andrey Chibis and Governor of Yamal Dmitry Artyukhov signed an agreement on cooperation in trade, economic, scientific, technical and cultural spheres. The ceremony was held as part of a visiting meeting of the Commission of the State Council of the Russian Federation on the Northern Sea Route and the Arctic.
The document establishes the intention of the regions to join forces for the integrated development of the Arctic zone in accordance with the priorities of state policy until 2035. The parties agreed to cooperate in a wide range of areas of priority for the northern territories.
"The agreement between Yamal and the Murmansk Region, strategic regions for the Arctic zone, is an important step towards strengthening our cooperation in the Russian Arctic. Only joint efforts in various fields will allow us not only to effectively solve current problems, but also to shape a sustainable future for our territories and our residents. Both regions have unique resources and potential that need to be used to implement projects. Only together will we be able to create comfortable living conditions for people and ensure dynamic economic development that meets the challenges of the time," said Andrey Chibis, Governor of the Murmansk Region.
"Joining forces, we proceed from a simple fact: both Yamal and the Murmansk Region are the main industrial outposts of the country in the Arctic, where a significant share of the macroregion's economy is formed. Our geographical location dictates the same challenges to us. These include the need to modernize infrastructure in cities and towns, the implementation of industrial and logistics projects that are important for the economy and well–being of the whole country, and, of course, common challenges in the struggle for human capital - when living conditions must match the scale of strategic objectives. We have much more points of contact than differences. By combining our efforts and sharing our experience with each other, we will be able to respond even more effectively to these challenges, and moreover, stay ahead of them by setting standards for the entire Arctic zone," said Dmitry Artyukhov, Governor of Yamal.
Cooperation will be based on the principles of equality and partnership, and will become the basis for concluding more specific action plans in the future. Yamal and the Murmansk Region will work together to improve the quality of life in the Arctic by sharing experiences in healthcare, social protection, and demographic policy implementation. In addition, the document provides for the development of cultural and sports ties. The first exchange of experience has already taken place during a working visit to Yamal. Members of the Murmansk Region government visited the Trust Rehabilitation Center, the Salekhard District Clinical Hospital, the Polaris Art Residence, the extreme park, the Northern Character sports complex, the National Library and got acquainted with the best practices of the region in supporting youth and families with children.
Among the key areas of cooperation are the development of trade and economic ties between enterprises of the two regions, the expansion of business contacts between small and medium–sized businesses, as well as the exchange of practices in implementing government business support programs.
In addition, the agreement provides for the development of interregional cooperation in the transport sector, industry, energy, housing and communal services. Some provisions relate to cooperation in the field of information and communication technologies, tourism, environmental protection, youth and family policy.
The new agreement will bring the inter-regional partnership to a systemic level. This will create the foundation for attracting investments, implementing joint infrastructure projects and, as a result, for sustainable socio-economic growth in the Arctic territories.
The Agreement comes into force from the date of signing and is valid for five years with the possibility of automatic renewal for subsequent periods.
There was also a working meeting between the Governor of Yamal and the head of the Murmansk Region, where issues of cooperation were discussed.
/Ministry of Information Policy of the Murmansk Region/