Meeting #2 on the Development of Far Eastern Cities

The continuation that was promised to occur at the EEF

As the two photos show, this was a somewhat unusual video conference. Readers of the first installment on this topic will recall that the discussion relates to the drafting of a Master Plan for the region. The West has long derided the formulation of such plans mainly because it doesn’t do so as government planning is seen as undemocratic and against the principles of free enterprise. However as Hudson points out, if government doesn’t do the planning that also includes industry and finance, then development (if there is any) is left to the bankers/finance to determine, and whatever’s done will be tailored to suit their interests, not those of the public/nation. Yes, the initial planning done by the USSR failed because of lack of good management and public feedback avenues. The so-called Command economies have since learned from past mistakes and since 1990 have operated rather well and have increased their efficiency since, China being the foremost example. Before getting into the second half of the discussion, here’s an excerpt from the discussion between Putin and the EEF session moderators published yesterday that deals with master plans:

The key point is that the vision up to 2030 was created thanks to master plans. Any investor thinks that it is necessary to understand how the territory will develop, to start the so-called positive investment spiral. We can see how territories are developing. A good example of Moscow is the MCC. Investment projects immediately appear nearby. They are implemented, taxes are returned, and then this is again invested in the development of master plan projects. Therefore, master plans have become a key, if you'll excuse the expression, trigger that really attracted private investors to project implementation.

Now we have joined forces with Sberbank, VEB, the Far East Development Corporation, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to support investment. We believe, and we are definitely united here, that the Far East should have the most effective measures to support investment projects, as well as taxes. You need to run not to the puck, but to where the puck will only be. Here it is a good analogy to support investors.

So what are these measures? There is already a working mechanism for supporting investment projects in VEB-money at 2 percent, and we see a really high demand for this money. 1 ruble of preferential money is 10 rubles of market money. Moreover, some of the funds are already being reinvested, which means that this is the clearest proof that the tool is working.

We suggest focusing this measure – money at 2 percent-on master plan projects. I repeat: the master plan is a compass for an investor right now, and it is really very important. You can also scale this tool if necessary.

The Moscow MCC is the master metro and transport plan which has no analogue and has made Moscow one of the world’s top 5 cities.

I can easily name 50 cities within the USA that would greatly benefit from a similar organized plan. Indeed, all too many aren’t at all planned to support anything but private auto transport having little public transport at all. And forget about highspeed rail. But enough of that; onward into the discussion:

Vladimir Putin: Dear colleagues, good afternoon!

As we agreed, here, at the Eastern Economic Forum, we are completing the review of master plans for the development of cities in the Far East.

Last week we watched Yakutsk, Anadyr, Magadan, and now-several other cities. Thus, in total, we will work out 22 master plans, including today we will focus on the development prospects of such regional centers as the Vladivostok and Khabarovsk agglomerations, Blagoveshchensk and Birobidzhan. More than 1.6 million people live here.

Due to their geography, most of the cities discussed today are united by close cooperation with our neighbor and partner – the People's Republic of China and other countries of the Asia-Pacific region. Therefore, such areas as tourism, logistics, and investment cooperation dominate their master plans. One of the main focuses is on the development of transport infrastructure: roads and railways, bridges, railway stations and airports. There is even the world's first cross-border cable car. It will connect Blagoveshchensk and the Chinese city of Heihe.

These two cities are located on opposite banks of the Amur River and are actively expanding communications. For example, this year the Russian-Chinese economic forum Amurexpo was held simultaneously in two cities.

At the same time, I believe that Blagoveshchensk, of course, has reserves in order to more effectively use the competitive advantages of its geographical location. It has a good potential for increasing inbound tourism, as well as prospects for becoming one of the major centers of international business cooperation. To do this, we need to build more modern hotels here, develop infrastructure for holding exhibitions, congresses, and other international events.

In general, Russia's mutual trade with China and other Asia-Pacific countries has been growing dynamically in recent years. And our transport and logistics infrastructure must also meet the growing demand for cargo transportation. Today we will discuss key projects in this area.

I would also like to note that an important step in this direction was the opening of the Nizhneleninskoye – Tongjiang railway bridge across the Amur River in 2022. With its launch, the Jewish Autonomous Region also received an additional incentive for development.

Of course, Birobidzhan, the capital of the Jewish Autonomous Region, still has to solve a whole range of tasks in the economy and social sphere, to ensure an increase in the number of industries and jobs. There are opportunities for this in a wide variety of industries, ranging from agriculture to the production of medical devices and processing of minerals, including projects such as a complex for deep processing of graphite. It is widely used in the nuclear power industry, medicine, and biotechnology.

Thus, the Birobidzhan master plan can become a good example of building a strong, diverse economy.

Of course, the Khabarovsk agglomeration also has good prospects and opportunities for economic diversification and job creation. Tourism, industrial and creative industries are developing in the region. There is, for example, one of our animation studios that produces its own products, cartoons that are popular not only in Russia, but also abroad.

Special attention in Khabarovsk should, of course, be paid to the development of the historical center of the city, the improvement of embankments and other urban spaces, as well as the modernization of engineering networks, public transport and roads, the creation of housing, education and health facilities.

Khabarovsk is also one of the largest educational centers in the Far East. It is important to integrate the city's higher education institutions and create a common educational space based on a modern interuniversity campus. This will make it possible to train specialists more effectively, develop cooperation with businesses, support youth entrepreneurship and technology teams, and form platforms for the development of interdisciplinary, international educational and research programs.

Further. Vladivostok, where we are located – and we have already said this many times-also has enormous development prospects. And to implement them, you need to eliminate infrastructure restrictions.

Yes, of course, seaports are being actively built and modernized here. And they certainly play a significant role in the economy of our entire country, and today, as we know, we can even say a special role. But the city itself is in traffic jams, residents know this well, and there is a clear shortage of public transport.

In general, the solution of urban planning issues should be approached, of course, in a comprehensive manner, taking care of the unique nature of these territories, the architectural heritage of Vladivostok, including historical sites, fortifications of the Vladivostok Fortress.

Separately, I ask you to focus on the restoration of the facades of the historical center of the city, on the improvement of pedestrian streets and embankments. Such work means both a new quality of life for citizens and an additional flow of Russian and foreign tourists.

And of course, both in Vladivostok and in other cities, we should focus on the needs of local residents first of all.

So, now in the central part of Vladivostok is located, as you know, an oil depot, which from the point of view of ecology and modern urbanism, of course, is inefficient and absolutely wrong. This area can be used with greater efficiency, including for walking and recreation of citizens and tourists, and the tank farm, of course, can and should be taken out of the city, and this should be done in the foreseeable future.

What I would like to emphasize additionally. Vladivostok, Blagoveshchensk, and Khabarovsk are the leading educational centers in the Far East. It is absolutely necessary to make sure that young people continue to live and work in their native cities after graduating from higher education institutions, and see career prospects in them. Yuri Petrovich [Trutnev] and I have just looked at what has been done over the past 10 years, and our colleagues report that many young people are already coming from other regions of the Russian Federation to study here. We need to create conditions for them to stay here, of course.

That is why it is so important to include in the master plans a fundamentally new model of the urban economy, which is based on the development of various efficient industries, creative industries, and the formation of comfortable conditions for small and medium-sized businesses.

I would ask speakers to focus on such initiatives in their reports.

Separately, I will focus on such an urgent task as coastal protection and protection of settlements from flooding. The city of Ussuriysk, whose master plan is also on our agenda, recently experienced a large-scale flood. More than 44 thousand people were affected. The damage is estimated at about 7 billion rubles, and one of the reasons for this disaster was, as you know, a dam break.

Similar incidents in the future should be absolutely excluded. I ask you to carefully analyze the situation in the areas where there are risks of flooding, and offer balanced proposals for shore protection and construction of high-quality hydraulic structures, including in Ussuriysk.

Let's get to work. Please, Yuri Petrovich, please.

Yu.: Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, Dear colleagues!

Today, we are completing a major stage of work to implement your decision made in 2021 at the Eastern Economic Forum. Master plans of cities of the Far East, master plans of all capitals, cities of more than 50 thousand people, as well as Tynda and Severobaikalsk have been prepared. Based on the master plans, the Government approved comprehensive social development plans for six cities: Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and Ulan-Ude agglomerations, Chita, Severobaikalsk and Tynda. A few days ago, you approved master plans for Yakutsk, Magadan, and Anadyr.

You have already said that today we will hear master plans of the two largest cities of the Far East – Vladivostok and Khabarovsk, as well as the regional capitals – Blagoveshchensk, Birobidzhan and eight cities with a population of more than 50 thousand people. The implementation of the master plans will be carried out at the expense of the state program for socio-economic development of the Far East, prioritization of these areas of work in other industry programs, the use of the Far Eastern concession, the allocation of special treasury loans, and the presidential subsidy. We will coordinate the implementation of master plans through the information system of the Government Coordination Center, just as we are currently coordinating the development of the Northern Sea Route plan.

Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, allow the governors of the Far Eastern regions to present their master plans.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, of course.

Oleg Nikolaevich, please.

O. : Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, Dear colleagues!

On your instructions, we have developed a master plan for the development of the Vladivostok agglomeration together with Vnesheconombank of the Russian Federation and Strelka Design Bureau. The development concept of Vladivostok provides for the restoration of the Asian macroregion as a Russian scientific, financial and logistics center.

When developing the master plan, we were based on the opinion of residents, received more than a thousand proposals on the main problems and provided for appropriate solutions in the action plan until 2030. I will briefly focus on these areas.

Greater Vladivostok includes several zones: Vladivostok itself as the center of agglomeration, the city of Artem as a transport and logistics hub, Bolshoy Kamen and the territory of advanced development "Primorye" as an industrial site, a technology park and, of course, Russian Island as a scientific center and a center for tourism development.

Let's start with the development of the Russian Island. On your instructions, the Government of the Russian Federation is already taking measures to create a particle accelerator facility, an innovation and technology center, and the second stage of the Far Eastern Federal University campus. These projects will create the basis for increasing the share of science and education in the economy of the urban agglomeration.

In addition, the island has a great tourist potential, of course, requiring new roads, well-maintained beaches, and sewage treatment plants. In addition, it is proposed to implement projects related to the construction of a permanent convention and exhibition center, which in itself is of great importance for Primorye, and a children's health camp-squad "Aquamarine" with the assistance of the All – Russian [children's] center "Ocean".

Speaking about the development of tourism in the agglomeration, I would like to focus on our advantages. First, it is the demand for sea recreation among residents of the Far East and the whole country, so the master plan includes measures to create safe beaches and conditions for sea recreation.

Secondly, there are cultural projects that are always popular with visitors, such as the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theater, the Arsenyev Museum, and the permanent exhibition of the Tretyakov Gallery. Of course, as you have already said, this is the Vladivostok Fortress Museum. And on your instructions, a unique object is being built – the Aksakov cultural and exhibition complex, which will present expositions of all the leading museums of the Russian Federation, as well as improved conditions – the creation of a concert hall for staging ballet performances, opera and symphony music. We also consider it important to pay additional attention to restoring the historical appearance of the city center – private, federal, and regional buildings, as you mentioned. And, of course, the Vladivostok Fortress is a unique place to visit for everyone. Here we ask you to instruct the Government of the Russian Federation to organize the restoration of this museum-reserve, as well as the renovation of the historical center of the city in 2024-2030.

Our third advantage is the natural environment. Vladimir Vladimirovich, I have reported to you about the possibility of organizing a large nature park on two territories: on Russky Island and in the northern part of the Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula. You can start this work with the arrangement of the botanical garden belonging to the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Scientists and I are discussing this issue and will soon begin work on creating hiking trails.

In addition, the key object for the industry is, of course, the airport. And for its long-term uninterrupted operation, reconstruction of the runway is required. Please support us. Together with the Ministry of Transport, we will work out mechanisms for creating design estimates and then carrying out planned repairs.

In logistics, as you said, Vladivostok is the largest transport hub in the Far East, including all types of transport. The key project of its development with the creation of the eastern node of the Northern Sea Route, of course, is the Vladivostok Commercial Sea Port. New ports of Sukhodol and Vera are being actively built, and the Artyom and Uglovoe transport and logistics centers are being laid, and in the future this will be the port of Aurora. Therefore, we expect a significant increase in cargo handling, which in itself will lead to a large increase in customs payments and tax deductions.

In addition, the growth of the economy is connected, of course, with the industrial development of territories. Zvezda Shipyard, which you visited today and saw the scale of shipbuilding that is unfolding here in Primorsky Krai, is certainly a driver of economic growth, creating an industrial cluster, which includes a metallurgical plant. We have used infrastructure budget loans to create a 170 – hectare technopark, which will house the production and support of the shipbuilding industry, as well as the production of building materials. Also actively implemented in support of this industrial cluster is the territory of advanced development "Primorye", which now has about 120 investment projects.

Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, we expect that the implementation of these projects will increase the economy by at least 30 percent and bring it to 1.1 trillion rubles.

Of course, specialists are needed to successfully solve these problems. Therefore, it is necessary to form a modern training center, the so-called super college, in 2024-2026. Such a project is being discussed with the Ministry of Education and finds understanding and support. We have already selected a building and territory.

According to forecasts, by 2030, 900 thousand people will live in Greater Vladivostok. And of course, our task is to ensure that the construction of modern, comfortable housing for citizens, provided with social infrastructure, such as kindergartens, schools, clinics, and sports facilities, is carried out at a faster pace. The plan until 2030 is to build five million square meters of housing. We will cope with this task, we are currently renting out more than one million square meters a year.

But residents have high demands for access to the sea. To date, the city has almost no complete coastal strip. At the suggestion of Maxim Stanislavovich [Oreshkin] and Yuri Petrovich [Trutnev], we would like to focus our efforts on developing construction on the territory that would allow us to design the so-called sea facade along the Amur Bay. This approach will form an embankment up to 10 kilometers long, and here we will need the Government's support in solving the issue of building a through highway along the coast, expanding the capacity of engineering infrastructure, and moving a number of facilities, as you have already mentioned in your speech.

The situation is similar in the Ussuri Bay – this is the other side, already eastern, the Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula. The development of an area of almost 500 hectares is associated with the lifting of restrictions on military forestry. The road network also requires increased capacity. Such projects are provided for by the transport infrastructure development program, including the construction of the Rudnevsky Bridge on concession terms. We have design and estimate documentation with expert expertise.

As you know, Vladivostok is one of the most motorized cities in the country. The road network can't handle it. One of the ways to solve the problem is to develop public transport in two directions. Here we see the mechanisms. The first is, of course, the renewal of rolling stock, including electric transport, its infrastructure, trolleybuses, trams. In 2024, we have already started to do this, we are purchasing the first trolleybuses, 16 will be delivered, and we are also waiting for the purchase of new buses, work on gross contracts, which will make it possible to perform flights efficiently, according to the schedule.

In addition, [it is planned] to create a light metro on the basis of the railway with the purchase of electric trains, the construction of additional platforms and the expansion of complex sections. The project needs to be worked out with Russian Railways, we discussed with Oleg Valentinovich [Belozerov], in 2024 we will prepare technical specifications, then gradually implement this important project, which will connect the airport with the city, with the railway station.

It is necessary to modernize the existing part of the municipal infrastructure, including the construction of storm water treatment facilities. We see that due to climate change, there is more and more precipitation, and we cannot do without this work. Network wear is 80 percent, so we attach one of the main values to this.

In addition, this is, of course, the creation of new dams, this is the deepening of riverbeds. And now we expect that in September the State Duma will pass a law on the transfer of powers to municipalities and the regional level to clear riverbeds and create dams that prevent emergencies. Of course, it will also be necessary to increase the volume of gas supplies for industry and residential facilities in connection with the construction of housing.

In addition, we analyzed the situation based on requests: one of the requests of residents is the lack of well-maintained territories. We believe that the answer to the request will be the improvement of hills, you know the relief of the city of Vladivostok. We have started some of these works, and the improvement of the Nagornaya and Burachka hills has been completed. And ahead of us, we expect work related to the development of the Orlinaya, Busse, Tigrovaya, and Alekseevskaya hills. It is necessary to continue work on the Minny Gorodok Park and develop the Ozernye Klyuchi Park in Artyom and Alekseyevsky Park in Bolshoy Kamen.

Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, you once decided to hold the APEC International Summit in 2012, which was the impetus for a qualitative change in the city: an airport, unique bridges, an oceanarium, a campus, and transport interchanges were built. Of course, we believe that the implementation of the master plan will give the same second impulse, which will make Vladivostok truly the center of the Asian macro-region.

And of course, we welcome any eventful events, so we propose to hold the International Winter Games here in 2030 in partnership with China.

Thanks for attention.

Vladimir Putin: Good.

Oleg Nikolaevich, I'm still looking at your presentations, here on every page it says "strictly confidential". What's confidential here? On the contrary, it is necessary to publicly discuss what you are doing right now. It is not necessary to "secret" something that does not represent any state secret.

So, let's move on.

Please, Mikhail Vladimirovich, Khabarovsk Krai.

Mikhail Degtyarev : Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich,

The authors of the draft master plan of Khabarovsk until 2030 are all Khabarovsk residents. At the initial stage, 7,000 suggestions from city residents were collected, almost 65,000 messages in social networks were analyzed, and at the final stage – in July-August of this year – another 2,173 written suggestions from people were collected. Our partners were VEB.Russian Federation and Strelka Design Bureau.

Khabarovsk mayoral elections were held yesterday. According to preliminary data, the incumbent mayor, Serhiy Kravchuk, was confidently re-elected for a second term. And the course of the election campaign showed that citizens voted for the master plan as well, because they actively discussed it during the election campaign.

Now about the database. Today Khabarovsk is a large and developed city in eastern Russia, the leading urban economy of the district, a key transport and logistics center, and a control center: regional headquarters of both private and state corporations are located here. Khabarovsk, according to Rosobrnadzor, is the district's leader in general secondary and secondary special education. Khabarovsk is a center of culture and sports, and the Far Eastern Art Museum has a rich collection, some of which is presented today at the EEF, in our pavilion. The city is represented in the KHL, in the national football league, in the bandy super league, and this year the women's volleyball team was revived.

Khabarovsk's mission is to serve as a landmark city, to be successful, convenient, and recognizable. A successful city earns its own money and lets others earn it.In a convenient city, it's good for everyone, not just residents of the center, and in a recognizable city, each district has its own face. The master plan combines socio-economic and spatial development, the basis for economic development is clustering of basic industries. Thanks to the implementation of the economic strategy, the economy of free time will actively develop, and the role of mechanical engineering, manufacturing, and construction materials production will increase.

The goal of spatial development is to transform Khabarovsk into a city of distinctive and self-sufficient districts. The new production facilities will be concentrated in the outer contour, in the northern and southern industrial zones.

An important impetus for urban development is the economic revitalization of the center. It provides for the creation of anchor objects, such as the new Far Eastern Art Museum, the united embankment, the improvement of Amursky and Ussuriysky Boulevards, Muravyov-Amursky Streets. The city center will become a small Europe in Asia. We have preserved the architecture of all the great styles of the XX century, a lot of greenery, beautiful views of the Amur and the islands open from the shore.

Creative industries are a new driver of economic development. Among the most significant projects (you mentioned this, and thank you, Vladimir Vladimirovich) are the animation center based on the first Far Eastern animation studio "Dreamer", which recently won the competition of the Kino Foundation with the Nevelskoy cartoon project, and the Sovkino coworking center.

The bright, recognizable river facade of the city will be formed by the united embankment, the longest in the district. We have already built three kilometers on one side, and the dam of the southern district with a length of more than five kilometers has been put into operation. We made the project at our own expense, at the expense of regional funds, and we are implementing it on the basis of public-private partnership.

The pearl of the united embankment is the new Far Eastern Art Museum. More than 15 thousand works of art will be presented in its halls, including works by Titian, Rubens, Aivazovsky, Shishkin and other masters. Today, only 2 thousand are represented, 13 thousand are stored in storerooms due to lack of space.

I would especially like to thank Yury Petrovich Trutnev, because at the commission meeting in August, the project was supported within the framework of the Far Eastern concession. The museum will open to the public in 2027. The agreement will be signed at the EEF tomorrow.

A pedestrian bridge will connect the central part of the embankment with the dam. This will be the first pedestrian bridge in our region and will become a unique viewing platform. The new residential area "City Harbor" will become the center of business, recreation, and sports. The area of residential development will exceed 930 thousand square meters and public and business-150 thousand square meters.

Khabarovsk is a linear city, most of the districts are located along the river. And the key task of spatial development is to make districts integrated, provide them with a full range of everyday services, services close to home. We have taken the path of creating urban life centers – open urban spaces with heavy pedestrian flows, a concentration of trade, services, leisure and social facilities. We have identified 11 such districts. Each CSG will be formed around objects that are significant for the region, and we have enough of them, including Khabarovsk cinemas.

Well-maintained parks and squares will appear in each integrated district, a total of 19 will be created.

New training and sports centers will provide comfortable conditions for the development of human capital. One of them will be the Far Eastern training sports center on the basis of the Far Eastern Academy of Physical Culture and Sports. It has already built a stadium and two academic buildings. We propose to develop it by creating an indoor ice rink, track and field arena and additional halls.

Intercollegiate campus. Thank you, Vladimir Vladimirovich, for supporting him in his time, and since then he has passed the competitive selection of the Ministry of Education and Science. At the St. Petersburg Forum this year, a concession agreement was signed, the project is fully ready and is already being uploaded to Glavgosexpertiza. In the spring, we will start its construction, it will be located on a large plot – more than 40 hectares. As a result, 30 thousand students will study there by 2030.

In accordance with your January assignment, we are working with Maxim Stanislavovich Oreshkin to create a modern school based on the Letovo model. We have identified the site for construction, and we are asking you to include it in the list of pilot regions. We are ready to implement this project.

We have a unique regional oncology center in our city. Only here are produced radiopharmaceuticals for diagnosis and treatment. However, our center needs to be upgraded and updated with equipment. And we would like to ask you to support this project.

At your last meeting in May, you raised the issue of the incidence of tuberculosis in our region. One of the main measures to reduce the incidence of tuberculosis will be the completion of equipping the new ward building of the TB dispensary in March next year. The project is provided with money within the framework of a single presidential grant. Thank you very much for this.

The master plan includes a program for updating public transport. Over the past two years, we have already upgraded 17 trolleybuses and 201 buses under various programs, next year we will purchase ten more trams and 16 trolleybuses for special treasury loans, and by 2026 we will replace an additional 187 buses and 16 trams, as well as build two natural gas filling stations.

About housing. Citizens have a request for new comfortable affordable housing. By 2030, we plan to introduce 3.7 million square meters of housing. The city will be built up compactly, based on the mechanisms of integrated development of territories. We have already identified seven sites. Infrastructure financing will be carried out at the expense of infrastructure budget and treasury loans and preferential programs "DOM. RF", some projects are already being implemented, including the construction of the long-awaited heating main TM-35, which will provide new construction of 1 million square meters of housing.

Residential development will be located near the northern and southern industrial zones, where by 2030 we will create more than 25 thousand jobs. And in accordance with your instructions given at the EEF, a construction industrial cluster has been created in the region, it has already brought together 25 participants in nine areas, and more than 11 billion investments are planned for its development with private funds alone.

We will also provide public transport upgrades at the Far Eastern bus industrial cluster, which we are implementing with the support of VEB.RF. The investor has already entered into an agreement with the TOP, has become a resident, and has registered a company. The production capacity will be 525 buses per year, and we are starting construction in the near future. This will meet the needs of the entire district. We also plan to build tourist buses and new models there.

A new impetus for economic development is the development of the Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island. Over the past 10 years, several concepts of its development have been proposed. Unfortunately, there wasn't much traffic. We suggest that you first open a checkpoint, start trading, and start passing tourists. This is what will attract investors to develop the island – you need to put the horse in front of the cart. By the way, the EEF has already signed two agreements with investors on the development of this island. Opening the point will allow you to load the existing logistics complexes, we have already built them (this is Ozon and Russian Post), and launch new ones.

The Hehtsir ski complex will allow you to get an additional tourist flow from China just through the checkpoint.

We have already submitted all the supporting materials to the Ministry of Transport for the cargo and passenger point, received approval for the cargo base, and agreed with our neighbors and Heilongjiang Province. By the way, the cargo base from the second year will be one million tons of cargo and one and a half million passengers.

The highway bypassing Khabarovsk, launched last year under a regional concession, will begin to give a real financial effect. The draft is included in the protocol of the working group on checkpoints of the Sub-Commission on Cooperation in the field of Transport, the Commission for the preparation of regular meetings of the heads of government of Russia and China. On our own initiative, we have designed a 4-kilometer-long access road to it and will start construction in the spring at our own expense.

Achieving the master plan targets will make Khabarovsk a successful, convenient, recognizable city, and a reference point for the development of the entire East. And increasing the welfare of residents is the main result of our master plan.

Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, please support our master plan.

I would like to personally thank Yuri Petrovich Trutnev, Maxim Stanislavovich Oreshkin, the Russian Government, and VEB for their help and support in developing the document, RUSSIAN FEDERATION, HOUSE. The Russian Federation, the Strelka Design Bureau team, and most importantly, all the residents of our city.

The report is finished.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much.

Please, Vasily Alexandrovich. Amur region.

: Good afternoon, dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, dear comrades!

Vladimir Vladimirovich, on your instructions, we have four master plans to be approved in the Amur Region, the first of which – the master plan for the city of Tynda - was approved by you in April. And we are already seeing real results, we have received financing under special treasury loans in the amount of 1,600 million rubles. And these funds are now being used to prepare for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the BAM, we are modernizing the road and street network, repairing social facilities. So thank you for this assignment, it really changes your life for the better.

As for the master plan of the city of Blagoveshchensk. Blagoveshchensk is one of the most dynamically developing cities in the Far East. We have a population of 246 thousand people, and over the past 10 years the city's population has been constantly growing, the rate by 2013 is 110 percent, in 2013 we had 223 thousand people.

As you correctly said, the key advantage of Blagoveshchensk is its unique proximity to China. Russian-Chinese relations are developing, trade turnover is growing, and joint projects are being implemented.

We formed the direction of the city's development together with the residents, conducted sociological surveys. The top 5 areas of concern for people included the development of the economy, urban environment, transport accessibility, housing and ecology. Including from these requests of residents, the decisions that I will discuss below have grown.

Four key areas of the city's development have been identified in the economy. By 2030, Blagoveshchensk should become an export-import hub, a center for cooperation between Russian and Chinese companies, cultural interaction, tourism and educational center. I'll take a closer look at each of these areas.

First. Trade and logistics. Cargo turnover on the new international road bridge over the Amur River is growing, and over the past year it has increased 2.6 times. With the opening of a permanent checkpoint, we expect a gradual increase in cargo traffic to the planned 4 million tons per year. We are developing a bridge area, the first stage of a large logistics complex "Kanikurgan" has been built, we are working on multimodal transportation, and we plan to launch a dry port with access to the Trans-Siberian Railway. Private investment in these projects exceeds 10 billion rubles.

In the future, we have formed four sites for placing transport and logistics centers. In addition, the construction of a second runway at Blagoveshchensk airport is being completed, and an international passenger terminal with a capacity of 1.5 million passengers per year is being built there under a concession. It is planned to expand the road leading to the airport.

On your instructions, the construction of another road bridge, already a domestic one, across the Zeya River is being completed. We plan to launch the movement in October.

The second area of development is tourism and the service economy. We are developing a tourist infrastructure. The key project that you have already mentioned is the Golden Mile alluvial area of the Amur River embankment, 40 hectares of alluvial area. This project includes an international cable car, hotels, a convention and exhibition center, improvement of the central city square, which, in turn, includes the Museum of Russian-Chinese Friendship, the dinosaur museum, a children's center, the fountain alley, the largest in the country, and much more. The volume of private investment is more than 30 billion rubles.

By 2030, we expect a twofold increase in the tourist flow, which will amount to 700 thousand people a year, and the average duration of tourism in the city will increase, and it will be 2.5 days.

The third direction of development is industrial production. We consider it necessary to create several clusters on the basis of educational and scientific institutions of the city, as well as existing production enterprises: a cluster for food production, increasing the share of processing within the region and reducing the volume of exported raw materials, a cluster for the construction industry, as well as a cluster for assembly production. We already have a potential investor.

Finally, the fourth direction of the city's development is education and science. Blagoveshchensk has five higher education institutions and 19 secondary vocational education institutions, and there is a high demand for the creation of an international university campus in Blagoveshchensk.

The Avangard Youth Center is being built on your behalf. The first stage was implemented at the expense of the regional budget, and the second stage requires support from the Russian Government. We are working on creating a creative cluster that will combine the existing school of creative industries and research and production sites for startups and service facilities.

I will focus a little more on the international university campus, which is supposed to be created on the basis of our main university (Polytechnic University) – Amur State University. It also trains specialists for the cosmodrome and the gas chemical cluster, and this university is in very high demand among Chinese students. The All-Russian Soy Research Institute, the Institute of Geology and Environmental Management of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Far Eastern State Agrarian University, and the joint integration of business and industrial enterprises will be able to use the campus infrastructure.

Summing up the economic block, federal support is required to unlock this economic potential. Multiple solutions.

First. We need a boost to the economy. We will see new preferences for investors here. We consider it possible to pilot the regime of international priority development territories on the basis of the Amurskaya priority Development Territory. There are free sites available.

Second. Inclusion of new checkpoints in the city of Blagoveshchensk in the single electronic visa regime. What checkpoints are we talking about? This is the aforementioned cable car, an international airport, and a permanent checkpoint of the international automobile bridge under construction. This will ensure the development of an international transport corridor with China and create comfortable conditions for border crossing.

The third. Creation of a convention and exhibition center in Blagoveshchensk, which will become a platform for Russian-Chinese business cooperation at the federal level.

Fourth. This is the construction of an international university campus of an international level, which will allow, among other things, to reduce the outflow of young specialists from the region.

Next, we will briefly discuss the prospects for the development of the urban environment. These projects are divided into short-term, medium-term and long-term projects.

Over the past few years, a lot of work has been done to improve the appearance of the city of Blagoveshchensk, more than 20 squares and parks have been landscaped, and a large program of facade repairs and lighting has been launched. Since 2021, we have renovated and illuminated more than 70 buildings, including historical ones. We are implementing a design code based on the experience of Moscow, Kazan, and other leading cities, which puts in order retail facilities, signs, and advertising in the city. By the end of 2024, we plan to improve seven more public spaces and complete the modernization of the public transport network.

Special emphasis will be placed on the improvement of the fortifications of the Amur and Zeya rivers and the opening of a new city square, where the largest fountain complex in Russia, the Museum of Russian-Chinese Friendship, the dinosaur Museum and much more will appear.

At the next stage, it is planned to continue landscaping, build a new gas boiler house, and modernize sewage treatment plants. Moreover, work on the boiler house and sewage treatment plants has already been launched, and builders are at the sites.

We plan to carry out yard improvement as a continuation of the Federal Program "Thousand Yards". This program was initiated by Yuri Petrovich Trutnev, for which we thank him very much, and we see a very good response from people. According to this program in Blagoveshchensk 75 yard territories in two years were improved.

We are also developing a comprehensive road network linking the city center and actively developing new areas separated from the center by railway tracks.

One of the key projects is an overpass that will solve the problem of traffic jams and congestion on existing roads. As part of this stage, we will complete the construction of key tourist infrastructure facilities in the Golden Mile alluvial area.

By 2030, it is planned to build 2,200 thousand square meters of housing. The largest residential development object is the northern residential area, which is being implemented as part of the Far Eastern Quarter program. Here, the built-up area will exceed 500 thousand square meters.

In addition, we will increase the density of residential development in the city center by implementing a comprehensive development of territories in the amount of 570 thousand square meters on the site of the existing development of wooden individual houses that occupy a significant historical part of the city center.

We are planning a number of development projects and other promising territories. For example, another project on the Amur River, opposite the Chinese city of Heihe, with an area of 14 hectares, is called "Silver Mile". Here we have also identified a federal developer-the PIK group of companies. We are sure that they will be able to build a very beautiful, decent neighborhood.

We have formed a list of key actions included in the consolidated list of instructions. We worked with Maxim Stanislavovich Oreshkin, I thank him for his work, he worked in great detail in our region on all the master plans. We are ready to start developing a comprehensive socio-economic development plan.

And I would like to finish with macro effects. The implementation of the Blagoveshchensk master plan will make it possible to achieve a 1.4-fold increase in the gross urban product by 2030 and increase the city's population by 19,000 people. And by 2030, the urban environment will become not only a space for comfortable living, but also a showcase, I want to emphasize this, a showcase of Russian culture and a platform for business interaction between two states-Russia and China.

Thank you. I finished my report.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you. Thank you very much.

Please, Rostislav Ernstovich, Jewish Autonomous Region.

R. : Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich,

Thank you for the opportunity to present a master plan for the city of Birobidzhan, the capital of the Jewish Autonomous Region. The master plan was developed by DOM.Russian Federation" and specialists of Vostokgosplan, while, of course, based on the opinion of residents.

The city appeared when the USSR began to implement a unique project of allocating land in the Far East for the needs of continuous settlement by working Jews. For the first time in the modern world, immigrants from various countries came to the territorial formation of the Jewish people. Birobidzhan is quite a young city, it is only 86 years old. At the same time, I cannot but add that the Jewish Autonomous Region itself will celebrate its 90th anniversary next year.

The Soviet leadership took this project very seriously, it was supervised by the Giprogor of the RSFSR, and the city development project itself was developed under the supervision of Professor Mayer. This is a Swiss architect, whose name in the 20-30s of the last century was well known in Europe and in the USSR and is associated with one of the trends in the world of architecture – this is Bauhaus, or constructivism.

The city is located directly on the Trans – Siberian Railway.In 2022, the only railway bridge across the Amur River–Nizhneleninskoe-Tongjiang-will be put into operation on its branch.

According to surveys of residents of the city and the entire autonomous region, the main advantage of Birobidzhan is the unique heritage of national culture. The city itself is unique, and the problems that concern residents are common. The outflow of the population continues, and it is also associated with local peculiarities: in the late 80s and early 90s, Aliyah washed a huge number of people, and in a short period of time, entire dynasties of doctors, teachers, and employees left. But at the same time, Mr Putin, there is a reverse trend – people have started to return.

What do residents care about today? Of course, this means insufficient development of the urban environment, weak transport infrastructure, and low wages. We have a very large population with a poverty level of more than 20 percent, which, given the difference in wages with our nearest neighbor, Khabarovsk, leads to a constant outflow of qualified personnel by almost a third.

Large-scale investment projects are already being implemented in the city and region to create a new economic model and diversify the economy. After almost a five-year period of calm, housing construction has resumed, including the launch of the Far Eastern Quarter project. I would like to thank Yuri Petrovich Trutnev for supporting this project, and, of course, Marat Shakirzyanovich Khusnullin, who helped us restart the entire industry.

A medical cluster is being created, and we plan to launch from scratch an industry that has never existed before in the regional economy – medical production. In ten years, more than 10 thousand jobs will be created, which will rebuild the economy of the regional center, returning it from a service model to an industrial one. Gasification of the region is also ahead. On your instructions, Vladimir Vladimirovich, Gazprom has started design and survey work on the bridge between the Power of Siberia and Sakhalin–Khabarovsk–Vladivostok gas pipelines. Taking into account the rich agricultural potential, a processing complex will be built in Birobidzhan in the coming years, which will create up to a thousand jobs in the city.

In addition, I would like to mention the largest investment projects in the region related to the extraction and processing of minerals: a recently commissioned iron ore processing plant, which is currently being negotiated with potential investors to develop the production of pellets and HBI, hot briquetted iron, and a graphite plant located in the world's largest deposit, which is being prepared for launch in 2024.

Mr President, I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to the opening of the plant. I am sure that your attention will accelerate the development of a fundamentally new industry and energy sector - the production of graphene and everything related to it, and this is the future. The global market is estimated at almost $ 800 billion, and this can become a new national priority, a national project.

Experts have calculated that the implementation of key investment projects will allow achieving significant effects, including growth in the gross urban product, employment and labor productivity. Growth is estimated by experts to be plus 40 percent by 2030. It is also projected to reach a positive balance of natural population growth. We are convinced that in five years the region will make a breakthrough in economic development, but at the moment we need support in order to preserve human labor capital.

The expert community and residents have formed a package of 36 key measures that the city needs today. We have already started implementing some of them, the city has reached a faster pace of implementation of the BCD program, and the Thousand Yards program is being implemented. For the first time in decades, there is a large-scale asphalting of the sidewalk grid, replacing bus shelters throughout the city. The main health care facility, the regional hospital, is being renovated. A concession agreement was signed, which will result in a complete renovation of the city's street lighting.

Given the considerable attention of the federal government, Mr President, we need your support. First of all, the transport network, including the railway network, needs to be further developed. Additional solutions are needed to expand the capacity of the railway line leading to the cross-border bridge.

In addition, in order to realize the tourist potential, which experts estimate to reach 500 thousand people, your order is needed to open international passenger traffic on this railway bridge and create the appropriate infrastructure. The city requires a number of objects of social significance. Separately, I will highlight the construction of a new university building, major repairs and equipment of vocational education institutions. For the education and training of future generations of working people, we want to create the best conditions and ask for your instructions on these objects.

Of course, municipal infrastructure facilities are needed to realize the urban development potential: modernization of sewage treatment plants, networks, as well as the construction of new gas-fired boiler houses, taking into account the immediate gasification of the region.

Taking into account the unique national heritage, Birobidzhan should become a center of tourism in the future, it is necessary to improve the urban environment, we also want to create a tourist cluster "Jewish Quarter", and we also ask for your instructions.

Vladimir Vladimirovich, when developing the master plan, we took into account the historical flavor, economic potential, and experts helped us see the city as a single young organism. The master plan will solve the key problems of the city, attract additional investment, and most importantly, convince residents that the Jewish Autonomous Region is a place where you can and should live.

In conclusion, I would like to thank you, Vladimir Vladimirovich, for your unique experience. The assignment to develop a master plan allowed us to look at the city and its prospects in a different way. And let me assume that scaling the development of master plans to other cities, especially rural settlements, will bring great benefits to our country.

Thanks for attention.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much.

Alexey Olegovich, please.

A. : Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich,

I will briefly report on the development plans of eight more Far Eastern cities – centers of industry and logistics. These cities are of strategic importance for the Far East and for Russia, they are federal centers of aviation and shipbuilding, helicopter construction, gas processing, uranium mining and processing, coal industry, and large logistics centers. These eight cities are home to 826,000 residents, and together with the surrounding areas, they are life support centers for 1.5 million people.

Today, all of them are united by similar challenges, the answer to which should be the system solutions laid down in the master plans. This is primarily the diversification of the economy, the development of the infrastructure framework of cities, and the formation of a comfortable urban environment. Detailed action plans have been prepared for each city and the effects that these activities will achieve have been calculated.

Now, in the interest of time, I will briefly report on the main parameters laid down in each master plan.

Komsomolsk-on-Amur is our capital of aircraft manufacturing. Vladimir Vladimirovich, in 2021, by your decision, this city was awarded the honorary title of the City of Labor Valor. And since 2016, on your instructions, a comprehensive development plan for Komsomolsk-on-Amur has already been implemented: two sports centers, an ambulance station have been built, the construction of a children's hospital is being completed, a drama theater and an engineering school have been reconstructed.

The master plan focuses on ensuring transport accessibility, updating public transport, creating cultural objects and public spaces. The main objects of the master plan are the reconstruction of the airport and the launch of a high-speed electric train to Khabarovsk (now the feasibility study is being calculated), the reconstruction of the Shipbuilders ' House of Culture, which is iconic for Komsomol residents, and the construction of a year-round embankment of the Amur River.

The city of Ussuriysk is a transport and logistics center near the Russian-Chinese border, the ninth largest city in the Far East with a population of 180 thousand people. I have just passed through another flood, which confirms the priorities laid down in the master plan, first of all-to increase the protection of the city from natural disasters, to build new and reconstruct existing hydraulic structures. Also, the master plan of Ussuriysk provides for the construction of bridges, overpasses, reconstruction of the street and road network, construction of schools, kindergartens, clinics, sports and cultural centers. An expocentre and a hotel will be created to promote cross-border trade.

Nakhodka is one of the largest seaports in Russia. Starting from 2022, as part of the approved comprehensive development plan, the construction of a sports and recreation complex, the improvement of Lake "Saline" in the city center is already being completed, nine kindergartens and nine schools have been renovated.

For the further development of Nakhodka, the master plan involves the completion of the construction of a highway to Vladivostok, the construction of tourist and entertainment complexes, the improvement of beaches, the construction of networks, a new polyclinic, schools and kindergartens.

Belogorsk is an agro-industrial center in the Amur Region. The Amur Region is Russia's leader in soybean processing, while Belogorsk is now home to the largest oil extraction plant in the Far East, and construction has already begun on another one twice as powerful. According to the master plan, a dam should be built in Belogorsk, the Tom River embankment should be improved, an overpass across the Trans-Siberian Railway should be built, the street and road network should be reconstructed, the city lighting should be upgraded, a school, kindergarten and a new hospital building should be built.

Neryungri in the south of Yakutia is a legendary city of coal miners, which has been developing rapidly over the past few years due to the implementation of new projects of the Inaglinsky, Denisovsky, and Elgin GOKs. The main questions that Neryungri residents put before the developers of the master plan were medicine and housing. The master plan answers these questions, provides for the reconstruction of the central district hospital, complex development, and the construction of a culture park.

Krasnokamensk in the Trans-Baikal Territory is a Rosatom stronghold and Russia's main uranium mining and processing center. The master plan for the development of Krasnokamensk provides for the reconstruction of the airport, major repairs of the hospital, kindergartens, schools, technical schools, the creation of the Patriot center, the construction of an ice arena and new housing.

Svobodny city in the Amur region. Gazprom and Sibur are building some of the largest gas processing and chemical plants in Russia and the world. Since 2017, as part of the comprehensive city development plan, a new school, a sports and recreation complex have already been built, and the municipal infrastructure has been modernized. In accordance with the master plan, a new maternity hospital, a polyclinic, a youth center, a new school, a children's art school will also be built in the city, a park will be landscaped, utility networks and the street and road network will be reconstructed.

The city of Arsenyev in Primorsky Krai is our center of helicopter construction, where the Progress plant is located, which produces the world's best Ka-52 combat helicopters. In accordance with the master plan, the city will receive faster transport links with Vladivostok.For this purpose, the railway should be electrified, and a high-speed electric train should be launched. A feasibility study is also being prepared. A city hospital will be built, a maternity hospital, a polyclinic, kindergartens and schools will be renovated. Construction of the Arsenyev ski resort is already underway under the Far Eastern concession mechanism.

As a result of the implementation of master plans, these Far Eastern cities with a rich history will provide residents with a new quality of life, and by 2030 the gross urban product should increase by a combined 1.7 times. The average salary will increase by 1.6 times, and the urban environment quality index will increase by 1.5 times. To implement the planned measures, it will be necessary to concentrate the resources of the state, development institutions and business. Prioritize activities in sectoral government programs, of course, in the program for the development of the Far East, use the tools of special treasury loans, a competition for urban improvement.

On your behalf, we actively use the Far Eastern concession tool to create the objects provided for in the master plans. In order to reduce the cost of attracted financing in this tool, we will use concessional financing through VEB.RF.

Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, we ask you to support the draft instructions of today's meeting, which includes proposals from the regions on the main activities and solutions for their implementation. The final set of activities and sources of funding will be recorded in comprehensive long-term development plans, just as it has already been done in the first six master plans.

Thank you for the opportunity to conduct such systematic work in key cities of the Far East. It allowed us not only to set priorities in individual cities, but also to build new connections, exchange best practices, and additionally unite the entire Far East.

The report is finished.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you.

Of course, in such a large-scale work, there is an issue that cannot be resolved without solving-this is the issue of setting priorities and funding. I would like to ask the colleagues who are currently participating in our meeting, and I would like to ask what problems there are here that you would like to draw your attention to. If not, then we will complete it.

You are welcome.

Sergey Kuzhugetovich, please.

Sergei Shoigu : Mr Putin, I have a rather short speech on this issue. Here, in the list of instructions, in almost every item that concerns the Ministry of Defense, it is written: to ensure the transfer, to ensure the return, to ensure the repair of the runway in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, and so on, and so on.

First of all, we would like to consider this in advance. This is the first one.

The second one concerns the transfer of land plots. Here, perhaps, we should follow the mechanism that was once defined by you for other subjects of the Russian Federation-this is through DOM. RF. This is the first one.

Second – we once, back in 2013, identified a mechanism with Igor Ivanovich Shuvalov. He was quite actively involved in this issue at that time. And during this time, only in Primorye, Vladimir Vladimirovich, 23 thousand hectares of various land plots were transferred, which, of course,were of interest for investment projects in the same Primorye. Therefore, perhaps we should choose the same mechanism now, so that we can do this through DOM.RF, where there is a clear and understandable scheme according to which we work, and we work quite efficiently.

And finally, third – I would like to see Marat Shakirzyanovich conduct a certain audit of what has been transferred over the past ten years and what has been implemented as a result of this transfer. Because to transfer such huge volumes is only 28 thousand hectares in Primorye alone, and the same applies to other regions. This applies to the Khabarovsk Territory, Sakhalin, and many other regions. Kamchatka has its own separate history.

Therefore, I would like to see how effectively everything transmitted is used in this case.

Here, in fact, are two requests, Mr Putin.

According to the list of instructions – I think that colleagues will listen and there will really be less categorical definitions: to ensure the transfer. All these lands have been used in one way or another, and today many are involved in our work – the Ministry of Defense, the work of the Navy. And the instructions that you gave us on Russian Island and many other things have certainly been fulfilled, and we receive more and more requests for transfer here every year. But in this case, it is simply categorical to "provide" – maybe we will actually consider it first, and then we will talk about the transfer. Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: Good.

At each presentation, at each project, the cost of certain events is approximately equal. In general, if you calculate it, it will be more than a trillion rubles. But we also need to understand whether our sources have been worked out or not.

Marat Shakirzyanovich, please.

M. Khusnullin : Vladimir Vladimirovich, I will immediately comment on the words of Sergei Kuzhugetovich [Shoigu]. In fact, on your instructions, we have made a full analysis of the transferred federal land plots. I'll say it bluntly: it's not all used very effectively. Therefore, we have prepared a whole set of measures, and we believe that it is possible and necessary to transfer them only with a strictly signed "road map" for the development of these land plots. If we see a clear plan, that there is a master plan for this site, money is available, networks are available, developers are available, then we transfer it and use it. If this is not the case, there is no point in just taking it to make it stand. On the contrary, we are now returning part of the unused land plots and are starting to prepare the city potential and put it up for auction for sale. Therefore, I agree with Sergey Kuzhugetovich here, we will present a full analysis, this is the first one.

Second. In general, I strongly support the work that my colleagues do according to the master plan. A lot of work has been done, it is very useful, this work, but there are a number of points that I would like to draw your attention to.

The key issue in the master plan is the number of people who will live in these localities. We must clearly understand where these people will come from, how they will arrive, where they will live and where they will work. If we proceed from this parameter of the master plan, then, for example, a number of colleagues outlined the housing construction program. But at the same time, I can say that we have signed preliminary programs with all the regions, the Ministry of Construction with all the regions of the Far East, but almost no region reaches the full – fledged figure of 0.82 meters of construction per person per year. In other words, in order to ensure such an increase in the population, the master plan should contain a detailed housing program separately. The updated housing program should clearly specify the territories that will fall under the integrated development of territories. We have a wonderful law that has started to work, and if it is used effectively today, it is possible to involve not only the land of the Ministry of Defense, but also all inefficiently used areas in circulation. Therefore, I would very much ask you to pay attention to this. This is the first one.

Second. I would like to draw your attention to extra-budgetary sources. A very beautiful sign with 1 trillion 400 [billions] of extra-budgetary investments attracted to date. But when I start looking at these investments, for example, investments in the Jewish Autonomous Region amount to 200 billion rubles for connecting a gas pipeline, which is, in fact, Gazprom's money, and 8 billion rubles for gasification.

If you look at other regions by extra-budgetary sources, this is mostly either money from state-owned companies, or very conditional money – it is not clear whether [they] will be or not. At the same time, the money that the federal government [is proposed to allocate], for 1 trillion rubles, is spelled out on 45 pages, such is the list of instructions.

Therefore, it seems to me that it would still be fair to analyze it, taking into account the fact that we have a five-year project-by-project construction program up to and including 2028. Analyze what we can do with the federal budget, what we can do with investment budget loans and special treasury loans that we have already selected. We have a number of sources that we have suspended so far and are not going to continue, such as the extension of national projects and a comprehensive plan for the modernization of municipal infrastructure. And by looking at these sources, you can still make the program more relevant to life, which you definitely need to approve and perform accurately.

The next point I would like to draw your attention to. That the same program also includes very little money from regional budgets, and Anton Germanovich [Siluanov] will probably say that we have a fairly large revenue base, at least in the last two years, we have a large surplus of funds in all regions. But if you look at the sign, the regional money pledged is simply negligible. It seems to me that this issue also needs to be worked out and see how to increase it.

And for investments, you just need to draw up a specific action plan. For example, on Russky Island – an urban planning and construction masterpiece with a bridge, but at one time private investment was also laid, these sites are still not developed today, they also need to make a decision, then investors need to be attracted and work.

If we are talking about the development of tourism, which we consider a very big growth point for these territories, then there should be urban planning plans, master plans should indicate how many hotel rooms will be created, how much infrastructure will be created, who will create this infrastructure - this is a separate type of business.

If we talk about airports in the Far East – this is, of course, a program that we really support very much, but we need to make a decision on a comprehensive infrastructure modernization plan.

That is why, Mr President, I would like to conclude by saying that the topic of master plans is very good. By the way, it requires specifying in Gradkodex what a master plan is. I would also ask you to give this instruction, but still clarify it, because today we have already legally combined the capabilities of the general plan, the PZP [land use and development rules], and the draft planning plans, that is, we have practically lifted urban planning restrictions. Therefore, we need to determine what a simplified master plan is, determine how many people there will be, how many investments there will be, and how much real estate there will be. This is a real plan that we will implement and approve it by 2030.

As it is, the work is very good, and many thanks to my colleagues for this work. And thank you, Mr President, for devoting so much time and attention. This is not the first time we have considered cities, and it is very useful for all of us. Thank you so much.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you.

Colleagues, please, anyone else?

A. Siluanov : Siluanov. May I, Mr President?

Vladimir Putin: Yes, please, Anton Germanovich.

Alexander Siluanov: Thank you.

Grandiose plans have now been announced, but they must be feasible from the point of view of financial security. Because indeed, the figures that you mentioned and Marat Shakirzyanovich [Khusnullin] call for additional discussion. The federal budget is currently tight, so all these proposals should still be worked out for their feasibility in terms of finances.

What I would like to draw your attention to. We have recently paid very serious attention to the regions of the Far East in terms of the instruments that we have adopted. Here is the program of the Far East: only for a three-year period-I mentioned the figure of 218 billion rubles, but now, taking into account the updated macro forecast, 229 billion rubles have been determined. The Government's initiative was approved – 153 billion rubles, including 87 billion rubles from the National Welfare Fund for rental housing. Industry-specific government programs. You gave instructions: at the expense of all investment subsidies [the Far Eastern regions should receive] 7.2 percent [of the total volume of transfers for investments from the federal budget, and they receive], I have already mentioned this figure, 15 percent. 15 percent of all programs go to the Far East, not 7.2 percent.

Additional support measures, Treasury loans, infrastructure loans, " DOM.RF" – all this is a lot of money. If you look at this year alone, more than 460 billion rubles are allocated to the regions of the Far East at the expense of all subsidies and transfers, that is, this is the resource that needs to be used and used.

And I would like to ask you, Mr President, not to give us strict instructions in the draft protocol decision, but to really work out all the possibilities and instruct ministries and departments to take these measures into account as a matter of priority when determining and allocating their budgets. The budget process is already underway, and the budget process is almost complete, but ministries and departments are ready and can work out these priorities together with the regions.

Please [instruct] us to consider all these proposals in this way. Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much.

Please, someone else?

A. Osipov : Zabaikalie, Osipov. May I ask your permission, Mr President?

Vladimir Putin: Yes, please.

Alexander Osipov: I will make a suggestion, Mr President. As far as finance is concerned, thanks to earlier decisions taken by the Government, a large amount of funds was allocated for economic development, investment projects, and infrastructure projects, and, accordingly, the budgets of the Far East regions have debts to the Ministry of Finance on budget loans. Thanks to this, for example, in the Trans-Baikal Territory, their own incomes have increased by more than 70 percent in recent years, that is, this money really works. Most regions of the Far Eastern Federal District will be able to return them in 2025.

The offer is as follows. Since we are now talking about large funds, where to get them – it would be possible to delay the repayment of these loans. We would use them for economic projects, including those provided for in the master plans, for the growth of the economy of the regions and Far Eastern cities, and thus increase our own tax base. Thus, in essence, they would "collapse" [the debts], thus obtaining a source, additional income, and then paying back these loans as corresponding income.

And the second sentence. Since this year, a program for the modernization of municipal infrastructure, which is extremely important for such regions as the Trans-Baikal Territory and many other [regions] of the Far East and Siberia, has been adopted. It allows us, Mr Putin, to provide people with public utilities for the first time in many localities: centralized water supply, heat supply, sewerage, and so on.

Now, first of all, I would like to increase funding, taking into account the approved master plans. But we are still experiencing the opposite situation, we have prepared for implementation, we have prepared for contracting with the allocated funds. Now, while it [the program] has been temporarily suspended, there is a risk of either a reduction in funding, or even termination.

We would very much like to keep this program for Krasnokamensk. The master plan that we are approving today is extremely important, because the municipal infrastructure there is 100 percent worn out.

Thank you, Vladimir Vladimirovich.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you for your ideas and suggestions.

Please, colleagues, anyone else? All?

Let's sum up some results.

First, I join those who have said that such plans are needed. When there are benchmarks, then it is easier to move towards achieving the necessary results. Therefore, I would like to thank everyone who worked on this project, and I ask the Government to approve the plans for this comprehensive development together with those who worked on the drafts of these documents by the end of this year.

Of course, as we have just said, it is very important to identify both priorities and sources of funding, and to work with agencies. One of the proposals that has just been made is the postponement of loan repayments. I do not know to what extent the Ministry of Finance took these returns into account in the federal budget revenues, but we need to see, because in general, the work is being done in the right direction, absolutely the right one. If we do not create normal living conditions for people, it will be very difficult to calculate how many people will come here. No one will go. So here, I believe that we are moving in the right direction in general, but, of course, we need to act very carefully.

What would you like to draw your attention to? First, it is important to organize proper control over the decisions that we make. This can be done on the site of the Eastern Economic Forum, and in the future, provide annual information, at least on the work on these master plans. This generalized information will allow us to prepare additional measures for the development of localities with greater accuracy and efficiency, as well as adjust existing programs.

Second. The question of the need to create a standard structure for master plans has been repeatedly raised, and, of course, this task also needs to be solved. I think that everyone will agree that we need to consolidate the very concept of a "master plan" (I think Marat Shakirzyanovich [Khusnullin] has already mentioned this here) and determine its place in the system of strategic documents. And this work, of course, needs to involve a broad expert community, including representatives of science and our development institutions.

Now let's talk about some specific questions that may not have been mentioned or were not very emphasized. What do I mean? For example, for the Khabarovsk agglomeration, I ask the Government to determine by the end of this year a supplier that guarantees gas supply to the region on the basis of long-term contracts. I also ask you to note that gasification of the Primorye and Khabarovsk Territories, the Amur Region and the Jewish Autonomous Region is among our key priorities. I won't go into details now, I think that many people understand what I'm talking about. There, our companies sort things out among themselves, but people should not suffer from this. This is important for improving the quality of life of people and for the dynamic development of these territories.

As for the lands that are assigned to the Ministry of Defense. Of course, you need to work through all this and see how the already transferred objects and land plots are used. This is understandable. But what is really, really not used and can be used, you need to work out – I also agree with Marat Shakirzyanovich here-work out, see how it will be used, not just give everything away, but work out and then decide on the transfer to the balance of the region. What's the point of being idle? No one uses it, everything is overgrown with birches and so on. This also applies to the Ussuri agglomeration, Vladivostok, and Blagoveshchensk.

Further. On the tank farm – I have already said this and ask the Government to prepare a schedule for its transfer outside the city [of Vladivostok]. These items should not be located in the center of cities. Of course, the region, together with the owner of this property, needs to find an alternative plot that is convenient for those who work there, for the owners. And we need, of course, to help the owners, not just "rip out" them and outweigh any additional costs. It should be a joint effort.

I also ask Russian Railways, together with Vladivostok, to consider the possibility of speeding up the creation of a light metro in the city. This is very important, it will allow you to unload the tracks and move forward in solving the problem of traffic jams.

Dear colleagues, as I have already said, today we are almost completing the discussion of master plans for Far Eastern cities. And this is a really good basis for the development of other Russian territories, cities and towns.

So, we have already agreed to start preparing master plans for key Arctic cities based on the experience of the Far East. In the future, we will develop such projects for our other regions as well.

Once again, I would like to thank everyone for the work done, and I ask you to finalize the list of instructions, take it as a basis, take into account the comments of colleagues, finalize it and submit it for signing in such a way that it is a working document based on our capabilities and the goals that we must set for ourselves and achieve them implementations.

Thank you very much.

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