TMCnet News
Russian president draws up guidelines for Far East developmentMOSCOW, Jul 02, 2010 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- President Dmitry Medvedev on Friday listed three guidelines for the development of the Far East, including mounted economic ties with Asia. The president also included amongst his guidelines a focus on high-tech cooperation and a bigger Russian role in Asian organizations, Itar-Tass news agency reported. Firstly, economic interaction of the region and Russia as a whole with Asia and the Pacific Rim should reach a new level, Medvedev said at a conference in Khabarovsk, the second largest city in the Russian Far East. "Until the end of the year the government has to submit for approval an action plan to enhance Russian positions in the region," Medvedev said. "It has to contain a forecast of long-term development of the Far East with account of the potential of our eastern regions and integration processes ongoing in Asia and the Pacific Rim." The president added that specific attention should be paid to free trade agreements. Secondly, Russian high-tech specialization should be evident on the markets of Asia and the Pacific Rim, the president said. He specified that the high-tech cooperation was about energy, aircraft construction and space services. "New multilateral technological cooperation projects are necessary and it is important to use the experience of neighbors in the creation of a favorable investment climate and special economic zones," Medvedev said. "We have to develop our energy infrastructure, attract investments into oil refining and chemistry, into production and transportation of raw materials," he added. Thirdly, Russia has to strengthen its role in organizations of Asia and the Pacific Rim, including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), he said. "Russia maintains solid positions there, however they expect more active efforts from us," the president said. "We shall offer our vision of how to build up a polycentric non-bloc security and cooperation architecture in the region," he said. |