Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – Government of the Russian Federation –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
From the transcript: Dear Valentina Ivanovna, dear senators!
First of all, I'd like to remind you what the Far East is. I'm well aware that a significant portion of those present live and work in the Far East and don't need this introduction. Nevertheless, I'll allow myself a few words.
The Far East accounts for 41% of the Russian Federation's territory and is home to 7.9 million people. It contains 77% of the country's diamonds, 50% of its gold, 39% of its copper, 71% of its fish, 64% of its fresh water, and almost half of its forests.
But the Far East's greatest treasure is its people. Hardworking, courageous, and unafraid of any challenge.
Clearly, there are a number of factors that hinder the development of the Far East. First and foremost are climate factors. Low temperatures, high seismic activity, and a large percentage of territories covered by permafrost are present. The harsh climate is one of the main reasons for the low population density, which in turn affects the pace of economic development.
Beyond climate and demographic factors, it's important to highlight the obstacles we can and must overcome in our ongoing efforts to develop the Far East.
First, the shortage of generating capacity will reach 2.6 GW by 2030.
Second, the state of the power grid, which needs to be improved and whose depreciation is 1.4 times higher than the Russian average.
Third, the Eastern Polygon is failing to meet the needs of shippers: requests significantly exceed capacity.
Fourth. Unfortunately, border crossing construction is often delayed. Currently, 17 facilities need to be commissioned.
Let's move on to economic development.
In December 2013, during his Address to the Federal Assembly, Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin identified the development of the Far East as a national priority for the entire 21st century.
It's impossible not to recall the beginning of the work. Today, these figures seem unrealistic, but in 2015, with government support, two enterprises were launched, 12 billion rubles were invested, and 470 jobs were created.
Work on developing the Far East began with the formation of a new section of legislation and the adoption of laws creating conditions for attracting investment, building enterprises, and infrastructure.
During this work, 90 federal laws and 531 acts of the Russian Government were created.
These tasks were addressed in close cooperation with the State Duma and the Federation Council, for which I would like to thank everyone present.
I would also like to thank the Federation Council for its close attention to the regions of the Far East. Over the past five years, the Federation Council has hosted six Regional Days: Amur Region, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Khabarovsk and Primorsky Krais, and the Republics of Sakha (Yakutia) and Buryatia. The Government has adopted decisions on all Regional Days, and their implementation is being monitored.
What have we accomplished? First and foremost, through our combined efforts and the work of all those working in the Far East, we have succeeded in changing the dynamics of development.
The growth of investment in fixed capital in the Far East over ten years has exceeded the Russian average by 1.5 times.
The annual commissioning of housing also increased by 1.5 times, the volume of construction work by 2.3 times, and the extraction of minerals by 1.5 times.
The catch of aquatic biological resources increased by 1.4 times. Thanks to the "quota-for-investment" program, 15 fishing vessels and 14 fish processing plants were built.
Coal production increased by 1.7 times, gold production by 1.6 times, and copper production by 30 times.
Seaport cargo turnover, housing construction, and grain harvests have increased significantly. Obviously, this work has also resulted in increased energy consumption.
In summing up this work, I would first like to say that in the Far East, more than 6 trillion rubles of private investment have been invested in projects implemented with state support, more than 1,000 enterprises have been launched, and 181,000 jobs have been created.
The total volume of investments expected to come to the macro-region within the framework of the concluded agreements is 13.5 trillion.
We consider it significant that, despite sanctions and obstacles imposed by a number of unfriendly countries, the annual volume of investments reached 1 trillion rubles in 2025. This is a record figure for our entire history.
But if we are to give a general characterization of what happened in the Far East during this period, it is better not to do so with numbers.
The territories themselves changed. The newly built enterprises not only improved the economy, they shaped the new face of the Far East.
These are the Denisovsky and Inaglinsky Mining and Processing Plants in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the Amur Gas Processing and Gas Chemical Plants, the Vostochny Cosmodrome, and the Zvezda Shipyard.
I am not afraid to say that signs of positive changes are now being felt in all regions of the Far East.
Let's move on to social development,
We understand that there is no point in building new businesses if people cannot live and work comfortably in the Far East.
In this slide, I want to highlight the issues that most concern Far Easterners. These include the quality of healthcare and education, housing affordability, employment opportunities, and culture.
It is important to note that current public surveys provide grounds to say that the situation has been improving in all of the areas listed since 2015.
It is important to note that the economic development I reported on led to a 2.3-fold increase in regional budget revenues, which in turn created the basis for social development.
What tools do we use to improve the lives of people in the Far East?
This includes the "Far Eastern Hectare" program, which provides free land plots to 160,000 people, and preferential mortgages, which have improved the housing conditions of 170,000 families.
This is a unified presidential subsidy, thanks to which 773 social facilities have been built and renovated in the Far East, and a rental housing program that has benefited over 3,000 families. The "Far Eastern Quarter" program supports integrated development projects.
I would like to specifically focus on the work to improve transport accessibility in the regions.
The program to subsidize air travel on socially significant routes, developed at the direction of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the creation of the Far Eastern Airlines, have improved regional connectivity. Direct routes have been created between regions that previously required travel via Moscow.
In 2025, the Far Eastern company Aurora transported 1.7 million passengers on almost 400 flights, including 480,000 people on 33 socially significant routes.
In total, 2.5 million passengers were carried on all subsidized routes, including other airlines, in 2025. Total passenger traffic in the Far East reached 12 million, exceeding the five-year target of 8 million by 1.5 times.
Important steps have been taken in education and healthcare, including the establishment of workshops at Far Eastern colleges. A program to support higher education institutions, "Priority 2030," and a health promotion program, have been launched. Mobile medical team centers have been established in hard-to-reach and remote areas of the Far East.
The decision by the President of the Russian Federation to develop master plans for Far Eastern cities has become a crucial tool for improving life in the Far East.
This program covers 4 million people—more than half. The regions will receive 3.6 trillion rubles in investment, 1.1 trillion of which has already been secured through decisions made by the President.
The Far East has never seen such a volume of funding for social obligations in its entire history.
I believe the work carried out at the President's behest has resulted in a change in migration trends for the first time in 30 years. Population growth has been ongoing since 2021. We will do everything we can to strengthen these trends.
It is important to report on further plans for the development of the Far East.
Much remains to be done to ensure the Far East strengthens its position as a rapidly developing and investment-attractive region. We must overcome energy shortages, increase the capacity of the transport system, and improve territorial connectivity and human mobility.
We need to increase the volume of mineral extraction and the depth of processing. We need to increase the share of high-tech industries in the economy.
We must create highly productive jobs. Implement master plans for 25 Far Eastern cities and 189 Arctic key settlements. Double the tourist flow. Transition to sustainable population growth.
All these actions are formulated in the Far East Development Strategy, approved by the Government of the Russian Federation in September 2020.
The strategy's implementation envisions: commissioning more than 3,000 enterprises, attracting more than 17 trillion rubles in investment, and creating more than 300,000 jobs.
This will allow us to continue to change the Far East for the better and create better living conditions for people.
Dear colleagues, all the tasks set by the President of the Russian Federation will be accomplished through our joint efforts!
Thank you for your attention.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
