A regional SPIEF session titled ‘Russia’s Regions: New Areas of Growth – The Arctic Agenda’, organized with the support of the Murmansk Regional Government, was held on 15 November 2017 as part of the 6th Murmansk International Business Week.
The main topic of discussion was how to draw the attention of potential investors to the development of the Arctic regions. Participants discussed the growth of manufacturing and the expansion of the regions’ export potential.
Taking part in the session were representatives of government and business from Murmansk Region and other areas of Russia. Among those attending were Governor of Murmansk Region Marina Kovtun, Deputy Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation Alexey Texler, Deputy Director of the Second European Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Petrovich, Regional Communications Director at the Russian Export Center Dmitry Makeyev, Minister of Economic Development for Murmansk Region Elena Tikhonova, Executive Vice President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Viktor Cherepov, Deputy General Director of Rosenergoatom Pavel Ipatov, and Director of the Department for Relations with Federal and Regional Authorities at Norilsk Nickel Andrey Grachev. Also invited to join the discussion were Deputy Director General at Atomflot Andrey Smirnov, Consul General of the Kingdom of Norway in Murmansk Erik Svedahl, and Consul General of the Republic of Korea in St. Petersburg Lee Jin Khen.
At the plenary session, participants discussed the development of state policy in the Arctic, the cultivation of interregional and international ties, the significance of international factors, and cooperation in the Barents/Euro-Arctic Region.
As Marina Kovtun noted: “Over many years, and indeed centuries, our country has established a strong foundation for promoting our national interests in the Arctic. Russia continues to be a world leader in Arctic research.”
Alexey Texler noted that the integrated development of the Russian Arctic is dependent on how effectively support areas can be established. Arctic development is a policy priority, and creates additional demand for a reliable supply of fuel and energy. “It is crucial that energy infrastructure does not become a bottleneck hindering the implementation of the complex investment projects planned here.”
