MOSCOW, November 26. /TASS/. It is impossible to solve infrastructural problems of northern cities and create a comfortable environment there without the initiative of residents, Senior Vice President of Russian mining and metals company Norilsk Nickel Larisa Zelkova told TASS.

"We focus on engaging people, residents of our cities in cooperative resolution of territorial issues together with us. This is the main tool that will help to dramatically change the situation. Funds alone, even provided as grants to nonprofit organizations, are only a portion, a way [for solution]. However, the efficient use of resources of such kind is possible only in case when people living in a city participate themselves in programs for change, clearly understand what they want for their children and themselves and are ready to spend time and effort to do that," the top manager said.

"The annual charity social budget" of Norilsk Nickel amounts to 7 bln rubles ($119.9 mln)", Zelkova said. The grant program titled "New Opportunities World" is one of the most significant charity projects of the company.

"A contest of social projects in the territory of our presence is held within the program framework - these are Norilsk, the Cola Peninsula, and the Trans-Baikal Region from this year. Usually this is support of projects of the broadest range - from additional education to sport and traditional crafts of indigenous people in our territories, social entrepreneurship and various other aspects. I believe the future lies with programs of such kind - competition and grant-based, such as the New Opportunities World," she noted.

Norilsk Nickel is a Russian diversified mining and metals company, the globally largest producer of nickel and palladium and the major producer of platinum, cobalt, copper, and rhodium. The company also produces gold, silver, iridium, osmium, selenium, ruthenium, and tellurium.