Photo: Shtrik Vadim/GeoPhoto.ru
Siberia Development Discussed at Krasnoyarsk Economic Forum
On 2-4 March 2022, the 18th Krasnoyarsk Economic Forum -- one of key Russian economic conferences focusing on regional development -- took place. This year’s forum was themed “Siberia: Economy of the Future”. Here is a recap of its highlights related to the Arctic.
- As stated by Vice Premier Victoria Abramchenko, work is underway in the Government to design a new strategy for the development of Siberia. The draft strategy, inter alia, envisions the establishment in the Siberian Federal District of eight industry-specific clusters, namely, forestry, aluminum production, nonferrous and rare-earth metals, oil and gas, precious metals, tourism, agriculture, and coal. It is noteworthy that a considerable portion of resources for some of these clusters are located in the Arctic zone of the District. The Vice Premier also noted that the launch of new projects will bring to the region some 450,000 new jobs and “trillions of rubles” in investments.
- According to Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin, the riches of Siberia will play a major role in forging new partnerships with Asia. This is especially important in view of the increasing political pressure from the West on Russia and the breakdown of traditional ties of cooperation with Europe.
- At a series of panel sessions, experts discussed the transition of Siberian cities to a better quality of life, improving development policies in light of emerging community demands, and transforming Siberia into a flagship green region. The latter is crucial in terms of both climate change and regulatory agendas being introduced to cope with environmental challenges worldwide.
- On the margins of the forum, several dozen agreements were signed, including an agreement envisaging the renovation of the Arctic village of Khatanga. The village will be transformed into a comfortable place for living and visiting, including by tourists -- Russian and foreign alike -- going to the North Pole.
4 March 2022