The Governor of the Murmansk Region, Andrey Chibis, presented a new economic strategy and industry potential of the region at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. The presentation took place as part of the business program of the "Arctic Day" held by VEB.The Russian Federation jointly with the Ministry of Development of the Far East and the Arctic and the Rosatom State Corporation. The participants discussed the prospects for the development of Arctic cities and transport hubs, as well as the further development of state support tools.
At the beginning of the event, the Minister of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic, Alexey Chekunkov, noted that the key task of the state is to improve the quality of life of people living in the regions. To do this, on behalf of the president, master plans are being developed for the cities of the Arctic zone - a full–fledged strategy and economic model for the main settlements of the region. In the Murmansk region, three agglomerations have been identified as the main settlements of the Russian Arctic: Murmansk, Kirovsko-Apatitskaya and Monchegorskaya.
"The master plan has three meanings. The first is the construction plan. What we will build. The second is the economic plan. The way we are transforming the economy of agglomerations. And the third, most important, is the state's public promises to people. We have completed the first stage of this work in the Far East, adopted a government decree and long-term development plans for 22 agglomerations. We are now completing this work in the Arctic. It is important to focus on the priorities that the people themselves have determined. Each region organized interviews and surveys on the Internet, analyzed social networks, and also worked with Regional Management Centers. To manage this work, we have launched an information management system for cities. We will make this system open and accessible so that the work on updating the cities of the Far East and the Arctic is truly nationwide," said Alexey Chekunkov.
Andrey Chibis spoke about the main investment projects that will become a determining factor in the economic development of not only the Murmansk region, but also the whole country. The head of the region also stressed that the Murmansk Region remains the leader among the Arctic territories in terms of the volume of actually invested investments and the number of jobs created due to preferential regimes – the TOP "Capital of the Arctic" and the Russian Arctic.
"The Murmansk region remains the absolute leader in the number of residents of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. The economy, of course, is fundamentally important. The first main topic is gasification, on which we managed to get the support of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The relevant decisions on his instructions have already been formulated and translated into practice. Gasification will provide a completely different technological structure in our economy. The second topic is the decisions that have been made on the construction of a new nuclear power plant. It should also be noted that our undeniable competitive advantage is logistics," Andrei Chibis said.
Speaking about the logistical advantages of the Kola Arctic, the head of the region noted that in the Murmansk region special attention is paid to the development of the Murmansk transport hub, one of the key trunk projects that provides access to the world Ocean and is a factor in the development of the Northern Sea Route. Among the most important projects being implemented in the Murmansk region, Andrey Chibis also highlighted solutions for the development of the most promising Russian lithium ore deposits.
The Governor noted that comprehensive work to create comfortable living conditions for Northerners is being carried out in various areas – in tourism, education and science, the social sphere, as well as in providing comprehensive support to small and medium-sized businesses.
"In addition, we are focusing on the development of technological production, creative industries and science. Yesterday, at a working meeting with Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, we discussed the development of the scientific potential of the Murmansk region and the creation of an Arctic scientific and technological cluster on the basis of the KNC RAS. It should become the main scientific center in the entire Arctic, because a huge number of highly qualified specialists, including young scientists, study and work here. The main thing for us is the personnel," Andrei Chibis stressed.
In conclusion, the head of the region recalled the importance of prioritizing the Arctic in presidential national projects.
"The prioritization of the Arctic in national projects, by analogy with the Far East, is quite obvious. I have already spoken about this at a meeting of the State Council and the Council for Strategic Development and National Projects under the leadership of the President of the Russian Federation. After all, the foundation for the development of the Arctic is focused on the development of the Northern Sea Route, an important project for the whole country from the point of view of world trade. In addition, we place special emphasis on the development of education and science, as well as on improving the quality of life of our people," Andrei Chibis said.
Recall that at a joint meeting of the State Council and the Council for Strategic Development and National Projects under the leadership of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Governor of the Murmansk Region, Andrei Chibis, asked the head of state to prioritize the development of the Arctic in the implementation of all national projects. Andrey Chibis clarified that in the Arctic territories, projects that meet national development goals should have a certain limit and priority funding, including through master plans. Today, the Minister of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic, Alexey Chekunkov, confirmed that the Arctic regions should be the focus of attention in all national projects.
/ Ministry of Information Policy of the Murmansk Region /