Point of View

“The federal targeted programme for the Russian South and the programme for Ingushetia's development will require more than 43 billion roubles through 2016. In particular, 2.1 billion roubles will be allocated this year. This is a modest sum, meant to build the foundation for future comprehensive work. Seven billion roubles will be allocated next year, and funds will come in equal instalments after 2012. All told, the programme entails 130 projects.”

"We need to seriously improve people's quality of life. And therefore, we need to develop and implement plans for the prosperity of cities and other communities in the North Caucasus. To begin with, we need to require the renovation of municipal housing, repairs, road building and transport improvement".

"We need special solutions for improving the investment climate. We only recently talked about this for the entire country and it is no less important for the North Caucasus. We need to work through the issue of establishing special economic zones in the federal district with regional industrial parks in every one of the constituent entities of the North Caucasus. And at that, I emphasise that the industrial parks, special zones and other instruments must be built on the basis of understandable and transparent procedures to eliminate the possibility of abuse and the repetition of past mistakes".

"Create a systematic strategy for the development of the federal district as a whole. Based on this strategy, prepare specific action plans for each constituent entity in the newly-formed federal district. How, what, in what timeframe and what resources will help solve what problems".

"Therefore at present, as never before, it is important to launch job-creation mechanisms and create conditions for launching new projects, stimulating small and mid-sized businesses, local industry, agriculture, construction and infrastructure in the broadest sense of the term. It is essential, finally, to learn to fully use the competitive advantages of the North Caucasus and its one-of-a-kind environmental assets. To do this, we have to improve the investment climate in the region by putting in order the regulatory agencies, the power structure in general and the social and budgetary authorities".

"The Gazprom programme has also made considerable progress. The level of gasification in Chechnya, North Ossetia-Alania and Ingushetia is at more than 90%, which is to say that a normal infrastructure system will gradually facilitate the regions' potential to make steady economic progress which in turn will enable the entire area to develop more consistently".

"Our goal is to strengthen those positive processes that, regardless of all of the problems, nevertheless have their place and have been in progress for more than a year in the North Caucasus thanks primarily to our efforts. Three federal programmes are currently being implemented - these are the South of Russia, Development of the Chechen Republic and Development of Ingushetia. Scores of public facilities have been built and renovated within the context of these programmes - schools, hospitals, athletic facilities and kindergartens. Water supplies have been improved for many communities".

"It is obvious that we need to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of government policy in the region by a considerable amount. This is the rationale behind the decision to create the new North Caucasus Federal District, and the appointment of a new leader, Alexander Khloponin, who will perform the duties of both the presidential envoy and deputy prime minister".

"The government must prove that it is capable of guaranteeing security, justice and the rule of law. It must provide stability, strengthen interregional accord and interfaith relations. We need to achieve a decisive watershed in the economic and social development of the North Caucasus".

"Today, I can say that two attractive investment projects worth about $700 million will be implemented in the Primorye Territory. Russian financial institutions will contribute 75% of the grand total. This implies construction of a new shipyard that will manufacture drilling rigs in Chazhma Harbour. We will cooperate with our Singaporean partners there. Second, a dry dock and auxiliary production facilities will be constructed at Zvezda Shipyard in Bolshoi Kamen. They will be used to build tankers and gas carriers. This project will be implemented together with our South Korean partners and Daewoo company".