Andrey Chibis at the session “Cooperation in the Arctic” presented a plan for the development of the Arctic in the Arctic “updated strategic plan” In the North – Live! 2.0 ”and the“ New Murmansk ”project as instruments of restraining the outflow of the population from the Arctic. The event was organized with the support of the government of the Murmansk region under the auspices of Russia's chairmanship of the Arctic Council in 2021-2023.
The participants in the discussion were Andrey Chibis, Norwegian Consul General in Murmansk Astrid Nerum, representatives of the regional government, the regional Duma, federal structures, heads of enterprises and organizations in the region, scientific and educational institutions, heads of municipalities, students of MASU and MSTU. Representatives of the Russian government, the Federation Council, the International Barents Secretariat and the Barents cooperation regions, foreign diplomats took part in the discussion via video communication.
During the presentation of the updated strategic plan “In the North – Live! 2.0 ”Andrey Chibis noted that the government of the Murmansk region considers it as part of the overall strategy for the development of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, and the ultimate goal of the plan is to reduce the outflow of population from the Arctic. The head of the region emphasized that the plan “In the North – Live!” formed based on the opinions of the northerners themselves.
Among the pillars of the plan, Andrei Chibis mentioned Arctic preferences for business, the implementation of large investment projects in the region, the development of the Northern Sea Route, the expansion of the Far Eastern Hectare program into the Arctic, and the revival of housing construction. In addition, the implementation of environmental programs and the introduction of green technologies, digitalization, tourism development, support of indigenous peoples, international cooperation in the field of education and culture became important aspects of the regional development strategy.
The central place in the work of the section “Stronger Together : Northern Cities ”was taken by the presentation of the“ New Murmansk ”project. Presenting the project for the renovation of the port territory in the regional center, Andrey Chibis noted that the renewal of the urban environment is one of the most important tools for changing the quality of life in the region.
“Our common position is that people are the main thing in the Arctic. We will not be able to implement large Arctic projects without people. We proceed from the fact that what worries people, you need to ask them themselves. That is why in 2019 we conducted a very large-scale survey of residents of the Murmansk region – what should be done first of all? In the summer of this year, we repeated this poll, and received almost half a million specific proposals, and 23 thousand people took part in the poll itself. Among the key challenges, questions and needs of people are a comfortable environment for life, healthcare, the possibility of self-realization – jobs and economic development, education, quality and affordability of housing, “the governor explained.
” Thanks to the Strategy approved by the President development of the Arctic, thanks to what we ourselves are doing today, we have an opportunity for self-realization of youth – youth from all over the country, from all over the world. It is fundamentally important for all of us to find and implement a set of solutions together so that the North, the Arctic, and the Murmansk region become attractive for life and work. This is a very difficult task, but what we are doing today as part of the implementation of the Arctic Strategy are steps towards this. Colleagues from other northern countries talk about the same challenges, first of all, about the outflow of the population. Our task is to reverse this trend. And it is great that today the Murmansk region has become a platform for international interaction on the topic of cooperation in the Arctic. Because the Arctic is a priority for the whole world today, “the governor summed up.