VLADIVOSTOK, September 2. /TASS/. The ongoing outflow of the population from the Far East suggests that the region has not yet received enough support measures, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting on the socio-economic development of the Far East. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum.
"A lot is being done, I completely agree, but it is still not enough if we observe an outflow of the population," the head of state said.
Putin stated that the rate of the outflow of people had decreased, but had not stopped.
"If it was as good as we wanted people to feel it was - they would come here instead of leaving," he stressed.
The head of state called the growth of the population in the Russian Far East a "historical task."
"Our historical task is not only to keep people in the territories that were mastered by our ancestors for centuries, but to increase [the population]," the Russian leader said.
For this purpose, it is necessary to develop production capacities, create jobs, and ensure people's incomes, he said. At the same time, Putin also called on using the resources that have already been allocated to the region.
"Considerable resources have been allocated and they need to be used effectively," he said.