Priority projects for North Caucasus outlined in Yessentuki

The expanded board meeting of the Ministry of the Russian Federation for the North Caucasus was held in Yessentuki yesterday. The meeting was attended by the Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Khloponin, the Minister for the North Caucasus, Lev Kuznetsov, representatives of the Federation Council, the Federal Assembly of Russia, the Russian State Duma, the Russian executive authorities, the Public Council of the North Caucasus Federal District, as well as heads of the North Caucasus regions.

Opening the meeting, the Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Khloponin informed the board members of the priority goals and objectives of the North Caucasus for 2016. In particular, they discussed the subprograms of socio-economic development of the North Caucasus Federal District within the framework of the state program 'The strategy of socio-economic development of the North Caucasus Federal District until 2025'. In addition, he spoke about the achievements of 2015, adding that the macro-region demonstrated quite stable, rapid economic and social development. "If we look at the industrial production index, in January-December of 2015 it amounted to 102.3%," the deputy chairman of the Russian government said.

The Minister for the North Caucasus, Lev Kuznetsov, summed up the results of the department's work in 2015 and reported on the priority tasks of the ministry for 2016.

Among the priority projects Kuznetsov listed the creation of a medical cluster, the resumption of production at the Tyrnyauz deposit and creation of the recreational resort Veduchi in Chechnya. According to him, tourism can become a basis for economy growth in the regions of the North Caucasus Federal District, in addition to industry and agriculture.

One of the key tasks for the coming period Kuznetsov named the development of projects within the sub-programs in the subjects of the North Caucasus Federal District.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Khloponin said that the medical cluster project will allow the residents of the North Caucasus Federal District to have access to high-tech medical care. Today 20 thousand out of 25 thousand people, who are in need of such assistance, are forced to travel to other regions. Khloponin also assured that ecology of the region will not be affected by the project.

Khloponin noted that today several " investment projects are already being implemented, about 63 ‘anchor’ and priority projects in the industry including agriculture has been approved in the North Caucasus. This will create thousands of jobs and support our local budgets," the Deputy Prime Minister added.

By 2025, we expect the investments to grow by 2.5 times, and the incomes will be increased by 1.7 times, the unemployed should drop by 30%. According to Khloponin, the Russian economy needs to prepare for the lifting of sanctions and determine the path for development.

Speaking about the prospects of the new autumn summit of the Caspian states, Khloponin noted that this meeting will help to identify the transit routes.

"The Caspian Sea is a strategic region, we are interested in the Silk Road going through Russia. There is no decision to this end yet, each country pursues its own interests," Khloponin noted.

Editor-in-Chief of the North Ossetia newspaper, Alan Kasayev, speaking to Vestnik Kavkaza, said that the board meeting of the Ministry for the North Caucasus in Yessentuki is a new interesting format. "We should wait for the results. Everyone was discussing the results of the first year of the Ministry's work and outlining some plans. In particular, Khloponin's statement that the subjects of the North Caucasus Federal District should focus on searching their own investors among their own population. According to him, it is more productive than chasing ‘chimerical’ external foreign investors. The second interesting idea was that sanctions against Russia will not last forever and it is necessary to establish our own production. Because when sanctions are lifted, our products must be competitive in terms of price and quality," the journalist assured.

"For some reason I have not yet seen a special debate around these two issues in the national media, but I think these are very interesting proposals. In addition, they discussed a shortage of investment funds and that planned investment program must be consistent with the requirements. Because sometimes the federation and a region are ready to provide financial support to projects, but subjects are not ready to provide the adequate documentation for these projects. There are such examples in North Ossetia as well, the authorities are working on it," Alan Kasaev summed up.