More people needed for Arctic development
-The development of the [Russian] Arctic territories is hampered both by insufficiently developed economic infrastructure and mounting social problems, including non-existent cheap passenger transport and a major lack of housing, President Dmitrii Medvedev said in last week’s meeting in the national Security Council.
-The huge economic and investment opportunities of the Arctic remains only potential, the president admitted. –Imagine, the number of people people [in the North] applying for housing subsidies amount to about 650,000 he added.
-The consequence is out-migration from the North and a continued very complicated demographic situation, Mr. Medvedev underlined.
The Russian Security Council last week initiated the work with the elaboration of a new Russian strategy on the North. Included in the strategy will be a plan on how to develop the Russian Arctic land territories, today including a major part of Russia proper.
Read also:
Russia’s northern frontier 18 September 2008
Russia’s Security Council goes Arctic 17 September 2008
