The state will support traditional economic activity in the Arctic

The program on support for traditional economic activity in the Arctic will be created. It will provide for a number of measures to support economy of traditional economic activity of indigenous ethnic minorities of the North in the Arctic zone. Owing to high transport costs, lack of modern enterprises and technologies for complex processing of raw materials, it is difficult to maintain the level of competitiveness of enterprises of traditional economic activity of indigenous peoples. At the same time, traditional economy of indigenous peoples means both creation of jobs and conditions for local food security and preservation of the traditional way of life, culture and native languages of peoples of the North.

According to Grigory Ledkov, the president of the Russian Association of indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East, today traditional types of economic activity have not lost their relevance, and indigenous population continues doing, what their ancestors did, passing these skills from generation to generation.

“Unfortunately, in the modern world natural types of economic activity in their traditional form can not be classified as highly profitable types of business for many reasons”, he said. – “State financial support is necessary for development and modernization of traditional economic activity of indigenous ethnic minorities of the North. It needs to develop a network of trading stations, to expand transport and logistics services, to create a market for products selling and to create workshops for primary and deep processing of reindeer-herding products and other traditional crafts on places of traditional residence. Local manufacture safety means confidence that our people will have jobs, speak their native language and live with dignity in their familiar environment”, the president of the Association commented on creation of the program.

The working group formed under the Ministry for development of the Far East and the Arctic will be busy with creation of the program. According to the information service of the Russian Association of indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East, it includes participants from 8 arctic regions of Russia: representatives of the power at all levels, public figures and activists of movements of indigenous peoples. The project will be led by Grigory Ledkov, the president of the Russian Association of indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East, and Sergey Khovrat, the director general of the Agency for development of human capital in the Far East and the Arctic.