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At the beginning of the meeting, Arkhangelsk Region Governor Alexander Tsybulsky thanked the President for his attention to the development of northern territories, including the Arkhangelsk Region. Last year, Vladimir Putin visited the region twice and held two important meetings there, one on the timber industry and the other on the development of backbone residential centres. All the President’s instructions are being implemented, and many initiatives have yielded positive results, Mr Tsybulsky said.

The Arkhangelsk Region was largely focused on industrial exports to EU countries before 2022, when problems arose due to sectoral sanctions. However, the region’s industry has been redirected, with its gross regional product growing by 0.3 percent last year. It is expected to increase by 1.3–1.4 percent this year and by 2−3 percent next year.

The Arkhangelsk Region holds the leading position in terms of the number of projects and people employed within the framework of establishing a special economic zone in the Arctic. The unemployment rate in the region is lower than ever before, at about 1 percent, thanks to the establishment of new enterprises.

A Capital of the North priority development area is being created in the region, with several interesting projects being launched there. One of the main projects involves iodine production. A large deposit of iodine water has been discovered in the Arkhangelsk Region. Plans provide for launching iodine production, to be followed by the establishment of an enterprise that will cater to the pharmaceutical, cosmetic medicine and other sectors, including the defence industry.

The Arkhangelsk Region is one of the seven regions where a geological exploration project will be launched next year based on the principles of public-private partnership. The focus will be on the production of diamonds. The Arkhangelsk Region has about 20 percent of Russia’s diamond reserves, but experts believe that geological exploration could raise its share to 40 percent.

The Arkhangelsk Region is one of the first regions to launch a comprehensive forest inventory. By the end of 2024, the assessment of the quality and composition of regional forests will be completed by 93 percent.

Alexander Tsybulsky pointed out that the regional government and people provided all-round support to participants in the special military operation and their families. The Together We Are Stronger centre and the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation are operating in the region. The production of drones, which is based on feedback from commanders on the frontline, has reached 3,300 over the past two years. The President asked the Governor to keep up the good work.

A training area has been organised to prepare the Defence Ministry’s contracted troops for deployment to the special military operation zone. They spend between five and ten days taking basic courses in shooting, field engineering, and tactics with instructors who are special military operation veterans. The Northern Fleet and the White Sea Naval Base are also involved in conducting the drills. The Northern (Arctic) Federal University has launched an educational centre that has trained 286 field engineers and military psychologists. The Arkhangelsk Region is participating in the effort to restore the city of Melitopol, which is under its patronage.

Mr Tsybulsky has reported to the President about a master plan created to develop the Arkhangelsk agglomeration. The plan includes five focal points: shipbuilding, the timber industry, education, science, and logistics.

The President is supporting the construction of a world-level campus for the Northern (Arctic) Federal University and the Northern State Medical University. The project is valued at approximately 30 billion rubles. Mr Tsybulsky suggested that the campus should feature a centre of excellence for shipbuilding skills. The Arkhangelsk Region and the city of Severodvinsk account for 48 percent of the production capacities available to the United Shipbuilding Corporation, with 46 percent of its total workforce employed at plants based in Severodvinsk alone. Mr Tsybulsky has asked the President to issue relevant instructions to the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia and to the United Shipbuilding Corporation.

The Governor also shared an idea of building a new shipyard in the north-west of the region.

The President of Russia noted that the construction industry was developing successfully in the Arkhangelsk Region, but dilapidated housing remained a major problem. The share of dilapidated housing was significantly greater than in other regions of the Russian Federation. Vladimir Putin asked Alexander Tsybulsky to focus on this issue.