Dmitry Medvedev opened the meeting by saying that the Arctic is a region of strategic importance for Russia and should become the country’s resource base for the twenty-first century. Achieving this requires resolving a number of tasks, including forming a solid legal and regulatory framework for the state’s activities in the Arctic, fixing in law the external borders of the Russian continental shelf and reducing the development gap between the Arctic districts and other regions.
The President focused particularly on developing the Arctic region’s transport infrastructure, a basic component of which is the transcontinental Arctic Sea Route. Mr Medvedev said this route needs to be developed as one of the country’s main transport routes.
Mr Medvedev also noted the importance of making the transport component of hydrocarbon deposit development more efficient. Resolving environmental problems and developing the social sector and modern communications and technology are also priorities in the Far North.
The President said that resolving the Arctic’s problems calls for a harmonious combination of the possibilities of the state, the business community and local self-government.
Mr Medvedev approved the Basic Guidelines for Russia’s State Policy in the Arctic to 2020 and Beyond at the meeting and instructed the Government to draft an implementation plan for the document by December 1.