United Russia picks up projects for Vladimir Putin
Yesterday, United Russia (UR) held a meeting in Moscow to pick up investment projects for the development of the Far Eastern Federal District. The best of these will be presented to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin at an inter-regional conference in Khabarovsk in early December.
Rostislav Goldstein, head of the UR Far Eastern Inter-Regional Coordinating Council, said: "I'm glad that without frittering away their energy, all regions showed a systemic approach to the resolution of problems. These projects will yield results in the mid-term. They are designed for a period from one or two years to a maximum of five."
Federation Council Vice Speaker Svetlana Orlova admits that "the regions demonstrated a very responsible attitude to the drafting of these projects." She emphasized that not only the governments of regions and territories or regional elites were active in this work, but also the regional business community, which means that a comfortable environment is taking shape in the district. "The conference was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Regional Development. Many projects are based on a strategy of development for the Far East. First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov did much to develop this direction." The Far Eastern Federal District includes the Chukotka Autonomous Area, the Republic of Sakha-Yakutia, the Primorsky, Khabarovsk and Kamchatka territories, the Amur, Magadan and the Sakhalin regions, and the Jewish Autonomous Region. The district accounts for 40% of the country's territory and five percent of its population.
Deputy Head of the UR Central Executive Committee Dmitry Polikanov explained: "This was a preparatory meeting to discuss and select the best out of more than a hundred projects from all regions of the Far East. Our goal was not to choose only the most spectacular, socially significant projects that may be presented both at an exhibition and at a plenary session, but to focus on those proposals that could give a new look to the Far East. We must show that the Far East is Russia's outpost in Asia, a place where people can and should go to live, work, study, and have a rest." Polikanov thinks it is important that all projects, even cross-border ones or those embracing several regions, have a "specific planning horizon." "So we are positive that in two years their implementation will make a breakthrough in the social and economic life in the Far East. This will allow this district to compete successfully with its Asian neighbours," he said.
Orlova said that projects "are not presented by officials because their promises are not always realistic. If it's about a clinic, a surgeon takes the floor, and if it's about a deposit, a manager who lives and works there presents his project."
Goldstein singled out several projects that are most likely to be submitted to Putin. These include a project designed to upgrade the water supply system in Khabarovsk, where water is currently taken right from the Amur River, the Image of Primorye infrastructure project, and a project on energy supply in the Sakhalin Region. The head of the Far Eastern Interregional Coordinating Council explained: "Any global plans consist of undertakings for specific regions. Our local hospital in Kamchatka is located in a shed – there is no other word to describe this building – and if a patient needs urgent surgery, the nearest hospital is from 11 to 20 hours away by air. It is clear that a critically ill patient may simply fail to survive along the way."
Orlova was particularly impressed by the project for developing the Primorye Territory. "They are going to create a completely different environment there. Vladivostok has never managed to expand, and now they are building new housing for the military and other categories, new sewage facilities to replace those built 70 years ago, and good roads – everyone has two or three cars there." She also placed emphasis on the project to develop regional aviation. "Aviation is as important in the Far East as the metro is for Muscovites," Orlova said.
Not all projects have received support. Thus, the idea to receive federal budget support for developing the famous Natalka gold ore deposit in the Magadan Region was rejected. "We are financing many regional and municipal projects from the federal budget. We must create proper working conditions for the people," Orlova said.
The UR General Council Presidium instructed Far Eastern regional affiliates to hold conferences until November 26 to discuss the projects and elect delegates to the interregional conference in Khabarovsk, tentatively scheduled for December 3-6. The head of the party will talk with the activists elected at this conference.
Anna Zakatnova