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Far East, Arctic development corporation to assist Nornickel in ecology, tourism projects

According to Nornickel’s Vice President Andrei Grachev, the company’s investment program plans investments in various projects in the amount of $30 billion, where 6 billion are planned for ecology projects

ST. PETERSBURG, December 3. /TASS/. The Corporation for Development of the Far East and Arctic will assist the Norilsk Nickel Company (Nornickel) in implementation of investment projects aimed at development of tourism and improvement of ecological conditions. The parties signed a cooperation agreement during the Arctic: Present and Future form in St. Petersburg, TASS correspondent reported on Thursday.

"In our opinion, this is a key agreement in the regional policies. It covers practically all aspects of the company’s work. <…> The Corporation, having great experience in project implementation, will assist us in implementation of investment, first of all ecological, projects. It will also assist in providing highly qualified personnel for the company’s enterprises. Other directions are the development of renewable energy sources and, surely, the tourism projects," Nornickel’s Vice President Andrei Grachev told reporters after the agreement signing ceremony.

According to him, the company’s investment program plans investments in various projects in the amount of $30 billion, where 6 billion are planned for ecology projects.

The Corporation’s Deputy Director General Nikolai Zapryagayev in his turn highlighted the existing cooperation with the company in development of tourism on the Kamchatka Peninsula and in the Murmansk region. Additionally, jointly with the Our Arctic non-governmental organization, Nornickel and the Corporation have been working on the Arctic Calling human resources project, under which they will eye more than 1,000 applications for working jobs employment with the Arctic Zone’s resident - Nornickel’s Polar Division.

The 11th international forum Arctic: Present and Future will continue working in St. Petersburg to December 4. The program, which includes 52 discussion sites, two plenary sessions, and roundtables, will focus on the Arctic ecology, development of infrastructure shipments along the Northern Sea Route, and other topics. TASS is the event’s general information partner.

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