YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK, July 16 (Itar-Tass) - President Vladimir Putin demanded that officials muster efforts and immediately launch work to implement the instructions adopted at the conference over the development of Russia's Far East on Tuesday.
"I'm asking you to be most attentive to it. It is necessary to focus on implementing the list of instructions, following its adoption. If we wish to have it done by October, we should start working now, despite the summer holidays," Putin said.
The president reminded about the discussions about setting up a state corporation for developing the Far East. "We've talked about it for year, and now it has turned out that it's difficult to work there, and even unrealistic in certain areas. The situation with perfecting the management system in the Far East is similar. It is not that effective," the head of state added.
Putin said the officials should be aware of their responsibility for the development of the Far East. Problems have been accumulating for decades, perhaps for a century," he reminded, "but regardless of who is to blame, you are responsible today for reversing the situation."
Among the problems, he named the negative demographic dynamics on Sakhalin and energy problems. "And this despite the fact that Sakhalin, compared with other far eastern regions, has recently made a spurt in development.
Putin reminded that the World Bank rated Russia higher than Germany by purchasing power parity. It is good, but there are many regions needing special attention, where growth rates are low, so the situation there is not satisfactory yet, he said.