MONTHLY INFORMATION DIGEST

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
OF THE FAR EAST
October 2020

KEY TOPICS• Russia and Korea
agreed to cooperate•

Arctic Development
Strategy until 2035
approved•Far Eastern regions toget extra financing forsocial facilities

EASTERN ECONOMIC FORUM EVENTS
2 October 2020, PrimaMediaFar Eastern Start training programme launched with information support from Eastern
Economic Forum
Seminars and lectures will be offered by innovative business experts (residents of the Russky TechnologyPark), experts from development institutes, as well as marketing, IT and finance professionals. This training will help
students get a better idea of innovative projects, financial planning, and start-up launching. The best teams will get achance to present their projects at the Vostok Forum, the Eastern Economic Forum and The Days of the Far East inMoscow. The training will take six months and will last from October 2020 till June 2021. The Far Eastern Start will
be an annual programme.

primamedia.ru/news/997926/

STATE POLICY IN THE FAR EAST
28 October 2020, Federal News Agency

Russia and Korea agreed on further cooperation
Presidential Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District Yury Trutnev held an online meeting with Hong Nam-ki,
Minister of Economy and Finance. This event took place under the organizational committee of the year of mutual
exchanges between Russia and Republic of Korea. During the videoconference, Yury Trutnev noted that bothcountries succeeded in building a solid foundation for cooperation that covers all life spheres. At the same time,
restored air travel between Russia and Korea played an important role in that.

riafan.ru/1326155-rossiya-i-koreya-dogovorilis-o-dalneishem-ekonomicheskom-sotrudnichestve

26 October 2020, RBC

Arctic Zone Development Strategy until 2035 Approved
President Vladimir Putin signed a decree approving the Arctic Zone Development Strategy and ensuring
national security until 2035. It was developed to implement the basics of the state policy in the Arctic until 2035
approved by Presidential Decree signed on 5 March 2020. The Strategy defines key areas, objectives, and measuresof developing the Arctic zone, as well as mechanisms, stages, and expected results.

rbc.ru/rbcfreenews/5f97189a9a794761d67ed162
15 October 2020, TASS

Government reviews bill on additional Far Eastern hectare
Additional land can be allocated to the people who have successfully developed the first plot. This novelty isprescribed by the bill on amending the law on the Far Eastern Hectare. The Ministry for the Development of the Far
East submitted the bill to the Russian Government for reviewal.

tass.ru/v-strane/9356563
9 October 2020, Parlamentskaya Gazeta

Draft programme on supporting traditional activities of indigenous peoples of the Arctic
The Ministry for Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic and the Far East Human Capital
Development Agency prepared a draft project to provide government support to traditional economic activity ofindigenous peoples of the North.
The Russian Arctic boasts 19 indigenous peoples, their heritage sites of historic and cultural value. According
to the Russian National Population Census of 2010, the indigenous peoples of the Russian Arctic totalled 102
thousand people.
Now, the law defines 13 types of traditional economic activities of indigenous peoples. They include, forexample, livestock and animal breeding (including on pastures), fishing, gathering, artisan artwork, and noncommercial extraction of minerals. Government support strives to create conditions for improving marketability ofgoods, works and services produced through traditional economic activity of indigenous peoples. It also targets thecreation of a solid foundation for developing the indigenous peoples of the Arctic. The programme offers support
measures for developing tourism and infrastructure in the places of traditional economic activities of indigenouspeoples. It aims to promote entrepreneurship among indigenous peoples and their goods in international markets,etc.

pnp.ru/economics/minvostokrazvitiya-predstavilo-programmu-podderzhki-korennykh-narodov-varktike.html
1 October 2020, TASSFar Eastern regions will get additional financing for social facilities
Amur Region, Buryatia, Zabaikalye, and Magadan Region will get almost RUB 320 million from the Ministry for
Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic for building and upgrading social facilities.

tass.ru/ekonomika/9598001

ECONOMY OF THE FAR EAST
23 October 2020, Primorsky.ru

Primorye gambling zone received RUB 19 billion of investment
2020 marks the fifth anniversary of the Tigre de Cristal entertainment complex in the Far East. Four morecompanies are operating in the gambling zone: as of today, RUB 19.4 bln has been invested in design andconstruction. Deputy Chairman of Primorye Government Konstantin Shestakov emphasized that the work of Russianand international partners is the best example of promoting this territory. “In this difficult time, companies are stillready to invest in Primorye. Existing tourism-related facilities are developing. New investors from Korea start building
a golf club. We are negotiating with potential investors about building hotels with casinos. All of it means we are
creating a whole pool of tourism and entertainment facilities. Casino resorts are an advantage for package tours forour guests from Asia Pacific,” said Mr. Shestakov.

primorsky.ru/news/228700/

20 October 2020, Vesti.ru

Far Eastern Mortgage has allocated over RUB 42 billion
Thirteen member banks signed 11,969 mortgage agreements at 2%. Local residents have received a total ofRUB 42.1 billion. The following regions lead in mortgage volumes: Primorye Territory, the Republic of Sakha(Yakutia), and Khabarovsk Territory, with 1,643 agreements worth RUB 5.9 billion.
vesti.ru/article/2474574

20 October 2020, Amur-Info

Average monthly income in the FEFD grew by 7.3% over the first 6 months of 2020
The highest growth rate of salaries was registered in Chukotka (11%), the Jewish Autonomous Region(10.5%), and Amur Region (10.1%). At the same time, analysts explain that salary growth in the FEFD is taking place,while the total number of unemployed both in Russia and the Far East is growing. Nevertheless, the unemployment
rate in the FEFD reached only 4.2% in the first half of 2020, which is lower than the unemployment rate in Russia asa whole (4.4%).

amur.info/news/2020/10/21/179950
4 October 2020, TASS

Small businesses in high latitudes might get an advantage for public procurement
contracts
The Ministry for Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic proposes to introduce benefits when it comes toparticipation in public procurement of goods and services to the northern territories for small entrepreneurs registeredand operating in the Far North. The corresponding project of the Federal Law "On Amendments to the Federal Law‘On the contract system for the procurement of goods, works and services to meet the state and municipal needs’"
has been developed in order to implement the provisions of the National Programme of Socio-Economic
Development of the Far East for the period up to 2024 and for the future up to 2035, approved by the Government ofthe Russian Federation.

tass.ru/ekonomika/9623107

NEW MECHANISMS FOR THE FARDEVELOPMENT: SUCCESS STORIES

EAST

22 October 2020, Rossiya Segodnya News Agency

Mikhail Mishustin approved creation of cultural centres in the Far EastStarting from 2021, federal budget subsidies will be allocated for creation of cultural centres in small towns.
Unlike traditional houses of culture, they will enjoy multifunctionality and a modern approach to organizing the space.
The government decree will help finance the construction of such centres in villages in the Far East.

realty.ria.ru/20201022/mishustin-1580938394.html
16 October 2020, Lenta.ru

4 Far eastern agencies won the eco-tourism development competition
The Agency of Strategic Initiatives has announced 10 winners of the competition to create tourism andrecreation clusters and develop eco-tourism in Russia. The winners include four Far Eastern projects. They are‘Tunkinskaya Valley’ from Buryatia, the ‘Land of Leopard’ from Primorye, the ‘Busse Lagoon’ form Sakhalin, and‘Kamchatka Sanctuary: the Land of People, Volcanoes and Salmon’ from Kamchatka.

lenta.ru/pressrelease/2020/10/19/ekot/
14 October 2020, TASSInternational Centre of Prospective Nuclear Technologies opened on Russky Island
Rosatom State Corporation and the Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) opened the International Centre ofProspective Nuclear Technologies (ICPNT) on Russky Island. It will help Russian and international students, youngscientists and specialists get access to Rosatom’s research reactors. With the help of the artificial intelligence,industrial Internet of Things and production technologies, including ‘digital twins’ presented at the Centre, the usersof ICPNT will be able to solve the problems of modelling objects and their surroundings, environmental andclimatological situation in the Far East, as well as economic base, which relies on the rich resources of the region.

tass.ru/ekonomika/9718109
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Russia’s economic potential, promoting its national interests, and strengthening the country’s image. Oneof the roles of the Foundation is to comprehensively evaluate, analyse, and cover issues on the Russianand global economic agendas. It also offers administrative services, provides promotional support forbusiness projects and attracting investment, and helps foster social entrepreneurship and charitable
initiatives. Each year, the Foundation’s events draw participants from 208 countries and territories, withmore 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 andabroad. In addition, it works in close cooperation with 128 economic partners; industrialists’ andentrepreneurs’ unions; and financial, trade, and business associations from 69 countries worldwide.
roscongress.org
ORGANIZER OF THE EASTERN ECONOMIC FORUM