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Russia to establish SEZs to attract Chinese imports
April 16, 2013, 12:04 pm

[Getty Images]

Chinese farmers rest in the field, 150 km East of Vladivostok, in the Russian Far East [Getty Images]

The Russian government is looking at establishing special economic zones in the Primorsky krai region to facilitate Chinese imports.

Two Russian ports – Troitsa and Vostochny – located close to the Chinese border require more efficient infrastructure to attract more transit of Chinese cargo and imports to the Russian Far East.

The ports are seen as the Russian gateway to Asia.

The zones will have free bond warehouses, plants processing and assembling goods, trans-shipping complexes.

Creation of the economic zones in Primorye region is part of the Russian government’s programme of development of the Russian Far East and the Baikal Region until 2025 that will require over a trillion rubles.

Over 88 projects will be realised within the project, including the modernisation of ports, reconstruction and construction of highways, railways and large plants, and the development of social infrastructure.

Speaking at the meeting of the State Commission for the Socio-Economic Development of the Far East, the Republic of Buryatia, the Trans-Baikal Territory and the Irkutsk Region, prime minister Dmitry Medvedev stressed the importance of the region.

“The Far Eastern Federal District, which makes up more than 33 per cent of Russia’s territory, has a population of just six million, making it the smallest federal district in terms of population, so it is our duty to realise to the full the potential of the Far East and Eastern Siberia, to integrate these territories into the national economic infrastructure as fully as we can and to create favourable living and working conditions there,” Medvedev said.

He also highlighted the choice of Vladivostok as host city for the APEC summit in September 2012.

“I hope that the decision to hold the APEC Leaders’ Meeting in Vladivostok provided an impetus for the development of the entire Primorye Territory.

Hundreds of kilometres of roads have been repaired, new housing is being built, and a modern passenger terminal has started operating. An Opera and Ballet Theatre has also opened here,” Medvedev added.

Daria Chernyshova