Point of View

"We proceed from the belief that when implementing joint projects on the Yamal Peninsular Russia will get access to our foreign partners' innovation technology, while Russian enterprises will get large-scale contracts for high-tech equipment, including the equipment we need."

"To become truly successful, the Yamal development programme should also be comprehensive. We need to consolidate the efforts of Gazprom and its partners, other oil and gas companies, and the Government. It would be inefficient to create expensive infrastructure to gain access to only one field, even one as large and unique as Bovanenkovo."

"We must do everything to the highest possible standards on the Yamal, above all as regards environmental protection. Nature in the Extreme North is very fragile; it would not tolerate unprofessionalism."

"Today we have commissioned a new 3.9-km railway bridge, the largest in the Arctic. It was built with the use of cutting-edge technology. We have also built a 572-km railway. They are a vital infrastructure prerequisite for large-scale development of the Yamal Peninsula. They mark the beginning of its development."

"I believe that the main value of Yamal's resources is their ability to act as a stabiliser of the global natural gas markets. These are unique deposits in terms of scale, which can flexibly regulate the amounts of commodities delivered to the market depending on changes in the demand and supply."

"The largest of these deposits, Bovanenkovo, has 5 trillion cubic metres of gas. Gazprom has actually started developing this deposit, where commercial production should begin in the third quarter of 2012. Overall, Yamal has approximately 12 trillion cubic metres of natural gas, and we are confident that additional exploration will greatly increase these figures."

"The Government has determined to develop it comprehensively for the greatest possible thrift and effect. As we see it, this development concept will consolidate the state's and mining companies' efforts and cut expenditures. If we establish a common transport network, power grid and welfare system, the job will be quicker and more efficient, and will cost much less-which matters most-than when every involved company builds an infrastructure for itself on its own. Several managers have said so today and, I think, everyone sees their point."

"The Government has decided to speed up the construction of a series of energy facilities. I am referring to the Neryungry Thermal Power Plant-Tommot-Maya line and the Suntar-Olekminsk line. This year alone, 3.5 billion roubles has been allocated for these purposes. There must be no delays in their construction."

"We will concentrate only on the north, though larger-scale development will also come up in our discussion. The north of the Krasnoyarsk Territory possesses 67% of Russian natural gas deposits, 60% of gas condensate and 15% of oil. Geological prospecting will go on, and promises more discoveries. 236 oil and gas fields have been discovered for now, and another 63 are being explored. It all makes mere 20% of oil deposits, 35% of gas and 17% of gas condensate. Experts assess summary potential yield as exceeding 115 million tonnes by 2020."

"A critical decision has been made to introduce the zero export duty rate for oil mined in certain Eastern Siberian fields, which include Vankor. All relevant bylaws must be passed urgently to make this norm work."

"As you know, the state has substantively expanded diamond purchases to support the industry. It has been decided to quadruple the funding being allocated for buying precious stones for the state treasury: this amount has grown from 3.7 billion roubles to 14.5 billion roubles. But I think even that is not enough. We understand that an industry that provided serious revenues both for the federal and the regional budget is in a difficult situation due to the global economic conditions and needs to be supported. I just had a discussion with mine workers and I would like to repeat here what I told them -that in total state support for the industry this year must amount to 30 to 35 billion roubles."

"In the current year, the Housing and Utilities Reform Fund has allocated more than one billion roubles for Yakutia - a substantial amount. These funds should be used to the utmost effect to solve the main problem for which the Fund was set up, namely to provide residents of dilapidated and unsafe buildings with new housing. Unfortunately, there is a great need for that in Yakutia."

"We have a programme for the development of the Far East and the Trans-Baikal region. Let us see how the work is proceeding here, in Yakutia.<...> A number of additional decisions have been adopted on the area's all-round development. We have launched and continue implementing a federal targeted programme on the Far East and the Trans-Baikal region, which provides for a substantive renovation and expansion of Yakutia's infrastructure: construction of new bridges, airports, railways and highways."

"The Eastern Gas Programme is also off to a good start. Its priorities are to pipe gas to the regions. The republic's head has just reported gas demand for Lensk is fully satisfied. At any rate, efforts have been made to reach the programme's targets. Next in line are Mirny and other towns and cities.<...> We are already seeing positive results. Yakutia's regional gross product has increased more than one-third between 2003 and 2008, while investment in fixed capital has grown 50%."

“The practice of allocating subsidies to balance regional budgets will be preserved. The subsidies will be diminished somewhat, but the practice will be preserved. Incidentally, we in Government have already decided to allocate additional subsidies of 70 billion roubles to 29 regions of the Russian Federation and on Saturday I signed a Government decree to the effect.”

“One of the Government's unquestioned priorities in the sphere of relations between budgets of different levels is financial support of delegated federal powers. The largest of them are spending on housing and utilities discounts for veterans and disabled persons and the exercise of powers in the sphere of employment. Subvention for housing and utilities rates in 2010 will amount to 102 billion roubles. Federal budget spending on employment will increase from 77.5 billion roubles in 2009 to 88.7 billion roubles in 2010.”

“We will continue the practice of granting the regions three-year budget loans at very low interest rates. Of course, this will be done above all for regions with low budget revenues.”

“It needs to be borne in mind that the crisis has affected different regions to different degrees. The hardest hit are the regions whose industries were oriented towards external markets. It is therefore necessary to take another hard look at the method of distributing subsidies and equalizing the budget sufficiency levels with due account of the changes that have taken place in the regional tax potential. I would like to stress that the overall size of the fund for financial support of the regions will not be cut.”

“Next year more than 1 trillion roubles will be allocated to support the regions. That is a hefty sum which, in our opinion, will cover the priority needs of the Russian regions.”

“Our decisions regarding the transport tax, indexation of alcohol, beer, and oil excises, and state duties will strengthen the regional revenue base. According to a Finance Ministry estimate, these measures will bring an extra 96 billion roubles to the consolidated budgets in 2010.”

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