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Legislators may discuss bill on Arctic backbone zones before yearend

The Russian government adopted a new version of the state program for social and economic development of the Russian Arctic zone

KRASNOYARS, June 26. /TASS/. A bill on organization of backbone zones in the Russian Arctic may be discussed before the yearend, the Russian State Duma’s deputy, representing the Krasnoyarsk Region, Viktor Zubarev told TASS.

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Five billion rubles from federal budget to be spent on Yakutia Backbone Zone

"The bill on backbone zones in the Arctic now must be at the stage of presentation," the legislator said. "We expect this will be in summer, 2018, and I am convinced the bill should be discussed before the yearend."

In August, 2017, the Russian government adopted a new version of the state program for social and economic development of the Russian Arctic zone. The federal budget will allocate for the program’s implementation more than 190 billion rubles ($3 billion). The financing would be divided into three directions - development of backbone zones, development of the Northern Sea Route and Arctic navigation, and works on new equipment and technologies.

The Russian Arctic includes the Murmansk, Arkhangelsk, Komi, Yakutia, Krasnoyarsk, Chukotka, Yamalo-Nenets Regions, lands and islands in the Arctic Ocean and some uluses (local ethnic settlements) in Yakutia.

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