President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev: During our discussions, during the last video conference, and during my recent visit to Khabarovsk, we agreed to hold a separate meeting to discuss work on the transport and engineering infrastructure and facilities in general for the APEC summit. Mr Shuvalov is involved in these preparations as chairman of the relevant government commission. But I would also like to hear your proposals on the city’s development, Mr Darkin. This summit is important for us in terms of establishing Russia’s place in APEC and developing our participation in other areas of international life, but it is even more important in terms of developing our cities, in this particular case, developing Vladivostok and Primoye Territory in general. We therefore need to make use of all the opportunities before us.
I have signed a special law on this matter, and other documents too, so that the new organisational efforts, and the extra money the region is to receive, will be used above all for the region’s residents, for Vladivostok’s residents. So, I would like to hear your proposals on specific sites, and then we will discuss everything. That is the agenda. I think this is something we need to come back to, because there are still a few matters that need to be finalised.
First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov: As you instructed, we worked together with the Primorye Territory authorities to select a contractor to organise construction of the Far Eastern National University buildings and facilities. We signed a contract last week with the company that will be sole contractor for the project. Work is already getting underway now at the building site. Facilities for the construction workers are being got ready. Most of the workers will be from Primorye Territory and the neighbouring regions. We discussed this with Mr Darkin and expect that the Far Eastern National University and city infrastructure development will create around 15,000 new jobs.
As far as preparations for the 2012 APEC summit go, we need to work in the context of developing Vladivostok as a centre for Asia-Pacific cooperation and a focal point for cross-border cooperation with China and our other neighbours.
We will present to you today specific project documents showing what the Far Eastern National University will look like, and project documents on renovation of the airport and its runway, and construction of roads, bridges and waste treatment facilities. These projects are all in the process of full-scale implementation. We will present these documents and explain how we have organised our work.
Dmitry Medvedev: Good. Mr Darkin, do you want to add anything?
Governor of Primorye Territory Sergei Darkin: Yes, construction work is already underway at all the sites, and you can follow the process for yourself on the website.
Dmitry Medvedev: You have a camera operating on-line?
Sergei Darkin: Yes. Here are the photos showing bridges construction progress.
Dmitry Medvedev: This is the right technology.
Sergei Darkin: Anyone in Russia can go to the website and see how the work is progressing.
As well as the APEC summit, the website also displays other projects. There are the investment projects of large state-owned enterprises such as Gazprom, Rosneft and Transneft, for example, which are already in the active implementation phase in Primorye Terrority. The first oil shipments will begin this year. All of these projects together constitute a big and effective anti-crisis programme that will be a major help in our efforts today to develop Primorye.
Dmitry Medvedev: Good. As I said, as far as the APEC summit is concerned, our aim is not just to ensure good working conditions for its participants, but above all to develop Primorye and Vladivostok, and this is the goal we need to keep in sight.
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