Vorkuta could become Arctic transport and economic hub

This announcement was made by Russian Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy in the North-Western Federal District Nikolai Tsukanov, who added that the region would present a highly detailed development strategy for Vorkuta as one of the Arctic’s support zones at the International Arctic Forum in Arkhangelsk. Tsukanov said he is convinced that it would be difficult for Vorkuta to announce funding for its projects without a clear development strategy, the TASS agency reports.

“Today this consists of a set of desires for a total of more than RUB 800 billion, but without a clear economic substantiation. The strategy should be developed for the upcoming Arctic forum in Arkhangelsk. I will announce it at the Forum. Vorkuta should become the transport and economic hub of the Arctic”, Tsukanov told regional leaders.

Tsukanov noted that the development strategy for Vorkuta should include issues pertaining to the development of transport and socioeconomic infrastructure as well as the resettlement of people from empty villages, micro-districts and dilapidated homes.

“It’s important to continue exploring for minerals”, he added.

Later during a conversation with journalists, he noted that he had purposely come to Vorkuta in order to get an understanding of “how people live and work in the Arctic Circle, in permafrost, and what needs to be done to create a high-quality and desirable programme to develop Vorkuta as a territory of priority socioeconomic development and one of the Arctic’s support zones which produces an effect not only for the municipality and the region, but for the country as a whole”.