04/2021

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EASTERN ECONOMIC FORUM EVENTS
23 April 2021, Rossiyskaya Gazeta

First meeting of the EEF 2021 Organizing Committee
The Organizing Committee of the Eastern Economic Forum 2021, which will take place on 2–4 September
in Vladivostok, held its first meeting. Participants discussed venue zoning and business programme shaping,shared the press service of the Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy in the Far Eastern Federal District.

rg.ru/2021/04/23/reg-dfo/sostoialos-pervoe-zasedanie-orgkomiteta-vef-2021.html

INTERNATIONAL ARCTIC FORUM EVENTS
19 April 2021, Interfax

The ‘Arctic: Territory of Dialogue’ 6th International Arctic Forum will take place in spring
2022 in St. Petersburg
The Organizing Committee of the ‘Arctic: Territory of Dialogue’ 6th International Arctic Forum has decided
to hold the Forum in late March/early April 2022 in St. Petersburg. Meanwhile, the Forum will take place for two
years in a row (2022 and 2023) because of Russia’s chairmanship in the Arctic Council and the importance of theArctic agenda.

interfax.ru/events/news/761939

STATE POLICY IN THE FAR EAST AND ARCTIC
22 April 2021, The Arctic

First meeting of the Council to Develop Far East, Arctic and Antarctic
Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Galina Karelova held the first meeting of the Council to Develop
Far East, Arctic and Antarctic. Participants have determined the key activities of the Council: reviewing the statusof government policies and outcomes of strategic planning in the Far East and the Arctic zone, as well as improving
the legislation.

ru.arctic.ru/news/20210422/992962.html
21 April 2021, RIA Novosti

The Northern Latitudinal Railway will boost the Arctic exploration
The construction of the Northern Latitudinal Railway, a railway line in the Yamal-Nenets AutonomousDistrict, may be financed with an infrastructure loan. President Putin stated this in his address to the Federal
Assembly.
“Please note that the infrastructure and budget loans will be fully under the control of the Federal Treasury
and will be provided exclusively for specific projects that have been thoroughly analysed by experts at the federal
level… For example, in conjunction with our major companies and using the proposed mechanism, the YamaloNenets Autonomous Area will begin the construction of the Northern Latitudinal Railway. This is the railway that will
spur the development of the richest resources of the Arctic. This project has been in the works for a long time now,and it's time to launch it, since we can do so now,” noted Russian President.

ria.ru/20210421/arktika-1729271586.html
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21 April 2021, TASS

Mikhail Mishustin approved government programme for supporting Arctic
indigenous peoples
The implementation of the programme will help to improve the well-being of indigenous peoples, reduce
unemployment, increase traditional economic activities, and the tourist appeal of the Arctic. A detailed
implementation plan is due to be developed by the Russian Ministry for the Development of the Far East andArctic within the next three months. The programme includes six main areas, the first of which is aimed atdeveloping infrastructure. In particular, it involves providing small-numbered peoples with mobile
communications and Internet access, assisting in developing their arts and crafts, and subsidising the purchaseof equipment for meat and fish processing.

tass.ru/ekonomika/11192889
19 April 2021, Izvestiya

Russian Government approved action plan for the Arctic Zone Development Strategy andthe Basic Principles of the State Policy in the Arctic
The action plan for implementing the Arctic Zone Development Strategy and the Basic Principles of theState Policy in the Arctic includes the following measures: solving social problems, creating a comfortable living
environment, attracting new investors, stimulating industrial production, and ensuring state security. The
appropriate document was approved by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. The plan contains a total of 268
measures, most of which will be implemented in 2021–2022.

iz.ru/1153398/2021-04-19/pravitelstvo-rossii-utverdilo-plan-po-realizatcii-strategii-razvitiia-arktiki
15 April 2021, TASS

Russian Government approved additional measures of state support for small
businesses in the Arctic
A package of amendments to current legislation simplifying small businesses' access to government
support mechanisms in Russia's Arctic zone will expand the range of potential residents in the Russian Arctic zone,
said Alexey Chekunkov, the Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic. In addition, heemphasized that thanks to the additional adjustments, small companies will be able to develop business in allmunicipalities within the Arctic zone, not only in the place of registration, as is currently the case. Also, small
businesses applying for resident status in the Arctic Zone will no longer need to commit to making capital
investments in real estate.

tass.ru/ekonomika/11157427
12 April 2021, RIA Novosti

Vladimir Putin instructed the Government to review the possibility of keeping Arctic LNG
offshore transshipment
The President of Russia, following a meeting with representatives of the business community on 11 March
2021 to raise investment activity, instructed the Government and the Russian Union of Industrialists andEntrepreneurs, to consider maintaining the possibility of ship-to-ship loading of liquefied natural gas produced inthe Arctic zone of the Russian Federation.

ria.ru/20210412/arktika-1727845560.html
3 April 2021, RIA Novosti

Russian Government approved the new Arctic development programme
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The initiative aims to accelerate the economic development of the territories that make up the Arctic Zoneof the Russian Federation; to increase these territories' contribution to the country's economic growth; and toprovide conditions for the macro-region's sustainable socio-economic development. The government decree also
addresses the development of the Arctic zone as a strategic resource base and its rational use to accelerate
economic growth, and the development of the Northern Sea Route as a globally competitive national transportartery.
According to the document, the total budget allocations for the programme implementation is more thanRUB 19.5 billion, including RUB 3.4 billion in 2021, RUB 6 billion in 2022, RUB 5.2 billion in 2023, and RUB 4.9
billion in 2024.

ria.ru/20210403/arktika-1604062055.html
2 April 2021, RBC

Russian Government will allocate funds for the Arctic’s new survey vessel
Mikhail Mishustin has signed a decree allocating more than RUB 7 billion for the construction of a survey
vessel to operate in the Arctic, with commissioning scheduled for 2024.
The decision will help to partially meet the demand of resource companies and other users of the NSR forhydrographic support. The construction of the new vessel is part of the federal project entitled 'Development of theNorthern Sea Route', which aims to unlock the potential of the NSR and turn it into a transport corridor of global
importance.

rbc.ru/rbcfreenews/6066e7209a7947526dbeba2e

ECONOMY OF THE FAR EAST AND ARCTIC
23 April 2021, Lenta.ru

Russian Far East and Arctic can become the centres of the country’s green
transformation
The Far East and the Arctic have unique natural resources and an enormous potential both for theirconservation and for the development of new, green types of production, renewable energy, and the creation oftourism eco-clusters. These regions can become cutting-edge centres of Russia's green transformation and its
strongholds, said Mikhail Kuznetsov, Director of the Eastern Center of State Planning, an autonomous federal
research institution.
He also added that the Far East and the Arctic are a great testing ground for the development of alternativeand renewable energy sources. A draft road map for attracting private investment in the development of distributedgeneration in remote and isolated areas of these regions is now being actively developed in cooperation with theMinistry of Economic Development. The roadmap will make it possible to remove administrative barriers and form
state support measures for businesses when implementing investment projects in the distributed energy sector.

lenta.ru/news/2021/04/23/zel/
20 April 2021, Arctic Russia

A 100th application for the status of the Russian Arctic zone resident: a potential investor
plans to upgrade power supply facilities in Yakutia
The 100th application for resident status in the Russian Arctic Zone has been received from theComprehensive Energy Solutions (KER LLC). The potential investor plans to implement a project to upgrade power4

supply facilities in Yakutia. The company will install modern energy-saving power plants in six settlements locatedin isolated areas beyond the Arctic Circle.

arctic-russia.ru/news/100-ya-zayavka-na-status-rezidenta-azrf-potentsialnyy-investor-planiruetmodernizatsiyu-obektov-ener/
15 April 2021, Gazeta.ru

Russian Government plans to expand the Far Eastern Hectare programme for the Arcticzone
More than 1 million hectares are planned for the programme, and areas are being identified, including thosein the vicinity of tourist destinations.
Applicants will be able to obtain land plots under a simplified procedure and in a shorter time frame. Special
attention will be paid to preserving the traditions and culture of the indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia, andthe Far East. In addition, exceptions will be introduced for resident companies in the Arctic zone regarding
requirements for financial investments in construction or real estate improvements. Also, future residents will nothave to conduct operations in only one municipality, where the company is registered, as the way things are now.

gazeta.ru/business/news/2021/04/15/n_15865076.shtml
14 April 2021, TASS

Primorye Territory signed an agreement to create the Digital Primorye informationsystem
The Government of Primorye Territory, the administrations of Vladivostok, Artem, Nakhodka, andUssuriysk, and private investor Digital Primorye LLC signed a concession agreement for the Digital Primorye
information system in the form of a public-private partnership (PPP), which is to launch digital services and hightech systems in these cities and in Primorye Territory as a whole by April 2022. The system will support more than
30 services, including a unified card for residents of Primorye Territory (which can be used to pay for transportation,and receive discounts and social benefits), a unified Digital Primorye Territory portal for residents and businesses,
where up-to-date information and services in various areas (education, healthcare, tourism, utilities, and culture)
can be obtained, and a student card for paying fares with benefits, paying for meals, and accessing educational
institutions.

tass.ru/v-strane/11140867

NEW MECHANISMS FOR THE
DEVELOPMENT: SUCCESS STORIES

FAR

EAST

20 April 2021, TASS

Laying the underwater fibre optic line in the Arctic will start in May–June
Deep-water cable laying as part of the construction of a trans-Arctic underwater fibre optic line between
Murmansk and Vladivostok on the Northern Sea Route is a key project for the information support development in
the Arctic region, and the creation of the Big NSR project, which may run from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok, is now
under consideration, said Deputy Head of the Russian Ministry of Transport Alexander Poshivay.
The length of the line called the Polar Express will be 12,65 thousand km. The line will be laid on theshortest route between Europe and Asia. At the same time, the speed of signal transmission along the line will beup to 100 Tbit/s. The work itself is scheduled to be completed in 2026.

tass.ru/v-strane/11194529
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The Roscongress Foundation is a socially oriented non-financial development institution and a major organizer ofinternational conventions; exhibitions; and business, public, sporting, and cultural events. It was established in pursuance of adecision by the President of the Russian Federation.
The Foundation was established in 2007 with the aim of facilitating the development of Russia’s economic potential,promoting its national interests, and strengthening the country’s image. One of the roles of the Foundation is to comprehensively
evaluate, analyse, and cover issues on the Russian and global economic agendas. It also offers administrative services,provides promotional support for business projects and attracting investment, and helps foster social entrepreneurship andcharitable initiatives.
Each year, the Foundation’s events draw participants from 208 countries and territories, with more than 15,000 media
representatives working on-site at Roscongress’ various venues. The Foundation benefits from analytical and professional
expertise provided by 5000 people working in Russia and abroad. In addition, it works in close cooperation with 133 economic
partners; industrialists’ and entrepreneurs’ unions; and financial, trade, and business associations from 70 countries worldwide.
roscongress.org
ORGANIZER OF THE EASTERN ECONOMIC FORUM AND THE INTERNATIONAL ARCTIC FORUM

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