Dear Valentina Ivanovna, distinguished senators!
First of all, I would like to remind you what the Far East is. I understand perfectly well that a significant portion of those present live and work in the Far East and do not require this introduction. Nevertheless, I will allow myself a few words.
The Far East accounts for 41% of the Russian Federation's territory and is home to 7.9 million people. It contains 77% of our country's diamonds, 50% of our gold, 39% of our copper, 71% of our fish, 64% of our fresh water, and almost half of our forests.
But the Far East's greatest treasure is its people. Hardworking, courageous, and unafraid of any challenge. We understand that building new businesses is pointless if people can't live and work comfortably in the Far East.
In this slide, I want to highlight the issues that most concern Far Easterners. These include the quality of healthcare and education, housing affordability, employment opportunities, and culture.
Current public surveys suggest that the situation has been improving in all of these areas since 2015.
It's important to note that the economic development I reported on has led to a 2.3-fold increase in regional budget revenues, which in turn has created the foundation for social development.
Much remains to be done to ensure the Far East strengthens its position as a rapidly developing and investment-attractive region. We must overcome energy shortages, increase the capacity of the transport system, and improve territorial connectivity and human mobility.
We need to increase the volume of mineral extraction and the depth of processing. We need to increase the share of high-tech industries in the economy.
All these actions are formulated in the Far East Development Strategy, approved by the Government of the Russian Federation in September 2020.
The strategy's implementation envisions the commissioning of more than 3,000 enterprises, attracting over 17 trillion rubles in investment, and creating over 300,000 jobs.
This will allow us to continue to improve the Far East and create better living conditions for our people. Dear colleagues, all the tasks set by the President of the Russian Federation will be achieved through our joint efforts!