MIRNYI /Yakutia/, April 13. /TASS/. Yakutia’s authorities want to open for tourists the Arctic deposits of diamonds, thus making new tourist routes in the Mirnyi district, head of the local administration Rishat Yuzmukhametov told TASS on Thursday.

"We want to focus on development of industrial tourism," he said. "We are trying to get on the federal special program, but, unfortunately, as yet we could not succeed, as some of the factories have restricted access, while only 15 years ago even coming here was not possible."

The local authorities want to open for tourists the Arctic deposits of diamonds, he continued. "The direction of tourism is something new for us, and we want to open this page in history of the Mirnyi district - the Russian center of diamond production," he said. "Unfortunately, it is complicated now to show to tourists the nine open-cuts, where diamonds are extracted, because of the severe climate and complicated logistics, but all problems can be solved, and we are working on them."

Tourists now may take the Diamond Route, the district’s head continued. "We invite tourists to take this route once a year - in September. Investors, interested in visiting Yakutia and its diamond plants, come here by chartered flights. For example, they go to see the shop, where diamonds are graded, then they see the Mir open pit, take a tour of the Mirnyi city and then go to Yakutsk, where they participate in the auction of diamonds."

The Mirnyi district is located in Yakutia’s western part and it is considered to be the Russian center of diamond production, where about 14% of all diamonds in the world are produced. The district has mining-industrial hubs, working in diamond extraction, in production of oil and natural gas, production of electricity and construction materials.