The two years of the North Caucasus Federal District's existence is an information reason for summing up the preliminary results of the region’s development. It is not only an appraisal of Khloponin’s activity as envoy or the heads of the republics, but also defining the points of growth, reliance on which a new model of the regional development will be formed, a new image of the North Caucasus.
In December in Gudermes Premier Putin stated that all projects in the North Caucasus should create new employment. According to him, the unemployment rate in the North Caucasus is 14.3%, while in some countries of Europe, for example in Greece, this rate has reached 17.7%. The prime minister believes that to achieve a real change in the North Caucasus economy, the real sector of economy should be improved and favorable conditions for investment should be established.
Last year investment started to flow into the North Caucasus. In Ingushetia three major investment projects are being implemented, costing 13.136 billion rubles. In Karachay-Cherkessia building of a major long-distant pipeline began. The biggest hopes are placed on the year-round resort Arkhyz, where 10 thousand people will be employed. In Stavropol Territory LUKoil began construction of a gas chemical facility. According to the governor, Valery Gaevsky, investments into the region’s basic capital are growing by 10% annually. The head of North Ossetia, Taimuraz Mamsurov, is optimistic as well. He says that the republic has already established a favorable investment environment. Opportunities for cooperation with investors were extended due to the Strategy of Social and Economic Development of the NCFD.
It was the strategy that marked the first activity of the plenipotentiary envoy’s administration two years ago. Many projects in the sphere of social programs, development of small and medium-sized business, tourist clusters and attraction of additional investments are being implemented relying on the strategic program of the NCFD's development. Of course, there were several failures. But in two years the main target was achieved: Russian society is changing its attitude to the North Caucasus.
Even though most far-sighted politicians and journalists bought into the PR-campaign “Stop feeding the Caucasus!,” the current reality of the NCFD tells different things. The republics of the North Caucasus are trying to get rid of the status of a subsidized region, adapt to a new modernization context and provide a secure and stable development for this part of Russia, which plays a big role in our society.
Of course, some republics of the region overcome difficulties faster than their neighbors. Ramzan Kadyrov has more reasons for reporting about successes and achievements than Dagestan’s authorities.
But this is the point: a separate federal district united republics with various models of organization of internal political relations, various human resources and the level of managing the elite’s readiness. Khloponin’s administration tried to pay equal attention to top-performing republics and weaker ones.
At the same time, many basic ideas proposed by the envoy’s administration can be implemented on the basis that has been formed in the last two years. For example, the Caucasus Economic Forum, which is devoted to development of tourism and can be a permanent image-management undertaking, is turning into the main element of the whole strategy of regional development.
We should agree with experts, who believe two years are not sufficient to sum up the final results for the development strategy of the NCFD. The image of the region is changing step by step. We should be patient. The problems of the North Caucasus had been accumulating for years. Ice cracked, but major work awaits for the state and social institutes of the North Caucasus.
Aleksey Vlasov. Exclusively to VK
