Development plans for Far Eastern cities were discussed at the RUSSIA EXPO

On May 24, the plenary session "The Far East: People, Economy, Cities" was held at the International RUSSIA EXPO as part of the Regional Development Days "Space of the Future: Far Eastern and Arctic Macroregion". Experts discussed development plans for the Far East and the implementation of the project to introduce 25 master plans for Far Eastern cities on the instructions of President Vladimir Putin.

"It is impossible not to love Kamchatka and the Far East. But it is very important to realize that our love should be embodied in creative and practical actions that will be useful to people. The master plans for the development of the Far East are a unique historical chance and opportunity. First of all, it is a chance to draw people from other regions into this horizon of opportunities. And this is the task we are setting for ourselves," emphasized Irina Yarovaya, Deputy Speaker of the State Duma.

She noted that large-scale changes are already taking place thanks to the fact that in 2013 the President defined the country's strategy for the XXI century, and the development of the Far East as a national priority. Over these years, a reliable strategic foundation has already been created, the most important social projects have been implemented.

"In September 2021, within the framework of the Eastern Economic Forum, our President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin in his address announced the start of a large program to create master plans for 25 cities united into 22 agglomerations of the Far East. We started this work from scratch. And the main thing we agreed on is that a master plan is not just a creative and urban planning project. It is a plan of transformation that will move people's lives from the present to a better state," said Alexei Chekunkov, Minister of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic.

The minister also called the project unprecedented. The resources included in the master plans are very ambitious, Alexei Chekunkov emphasized, and there is still a lot of work to be done: "But we are all together, and we will win, so that millions of Far Easterners will receive all the facilities we have promised on the list".

Nikolai Kharitonov, Chairman of the State Duma Committee of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic, noted that the key to economic development lies in the Far Eastern Federal District: "We need to do everything now to ensure that people don't leave the Russian Far East, but rather come here. All conditions must be created. It is no coincidence that the President says that social and economic living conditions in the Far Eastern Federal District should be higher than the national average. And this makes a lot of sense".

Governors of the Far Eastern Federal District shared their practical plans and their vision of implementing an important strategic plan for the development of Far Eastern cities.