Dmitry Kobylkin: Indigenous peoples require for special care, general standards are not suitable for them

The Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration of Russia Magomedsalam Magomedov, the Governor of Tyumen Oblast Vladimir Yakushev and the Governor of Yamal Dmitry Kobylkin highly appreciated significance of the forum as a platform that allows listening to problems and needs of population and developing constructive position in solving of vitally important issues.

During the media scrum after the plenary session Magomedsalam Magomedov said: “The Forum is taking place in an active living form, it is important for us. We want to know what the problems are on territories, to show best practices. No coincidence that these events are under the attention of the President — indigenous ethnic minorities of the North, Siberia and the Far East residing in severe nature conditions are worthy of comfortable existence and equal social conditions with all residents. We will do everything to ensure these guarantees in practice”.
“These are platforms for communication, people are sharing their experience. It is very important that many suggestions on changes in federal legislation, governmental resolutions appeared within discussion sessions, and it is the main work of such platforms”, as Vladimir Yakushev said.
Dmitry Kobylkin said: “It is very good that there are many questions. Not all of them are comfortable for the federal and regional authorities. Indigenous peoples require for special care, and general standards existing in the Russian Federation are not suitable for them. It needs to work hard on this issue, and I am glad, that we have such platform. We do not turn away from problems. For Russia it makes no difference what nationality people are; all people are important”.
The Governor of Yamal Dmitry Kobylkin underlines that today there are all opportunities in order initiatives of Yamal on improvement of life quality of indigenous peoples would be heard on the federal level — recognition of the status of “choum rabotnitsa” (a choum keeper like a housekeeper, a choum is similar to a tepee), recognition of a choum as a dwelling, fishermen’s reporting, ethnic belonging of indigenous inhabitants. “It needs to work on this all, and we shall be busy with it”, as he said.
600 guests and invited representatives are participating in the International forum “Russia. Indigenous ethnic minorities of the North, Siberia and the Far East”. They are discussing issues of interaction between the regions within activity of such organizations as the Northern Forum, the Arctic Council, the University of the Arctic and the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East. Special attention will be paid to issues of northern reindeer husbandry.
The 8th congress of indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation will take place on the 24th of March within the forum. The president of the Association Grigory Ledkov will present the report about the work during the latest 4 years. The new edition of the charter will be adopted, and the bodies of management for 2017-2021 will be elected.