Inter-regional conference of United Russia on Southern Federal District takes place in Volgograd

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, today took part in the inter-regional conference of United Russia on the Southern Federal District held in Volgograd, regarding the strategy of socio-economic development of southern Russia until 2020, RIA Novosti reports.

The conference in Volgograd is the sixth event of its kind. The first conference was held in Novosibirsk in April 2010 and was dedicated to the development of Siberia, while the second, held in July in Kislovodsk, was devoted to the problems of the North Caucasus Federal District.

During the conference, the Prime Minister proposed establishing an Agency for Strategic Initiatives to promote new projects, which will deal with new businesses, supported by young professionals and social projects.

The Prime Minister promised to renovate key roads in the Southern Federal District in the next five years, and allocate over 85 billion rubles from the budget for these purposes from 2011-2013.

In the next three years the Russian authorities will direct the modernization of key airports of the SFD worth more than 10 billion rubles, while a new airport will be constructed in Rostov-on-Don.

Oil production in the Southern Federal District (SFD) in 2020 will almost double at the expense of new projects, the prime minister said.

The total capacity of the power plants of the SFD in the next six years will increase by more than 5 and a half gigawatts, Putin said.