United Russia conf to work out South socio-econ devlpt strategy

MOSCOW, May 5 (Itar-Tass) - The Strategy for socio-economic
development of the South of Russia until 2020 and the programme for
2011-2012 is the main theme of the Interregional Conference of the United
Russia party that will open in Volgograd on Thursday. The conference will
bring together about 600 delegates and guests, including leaders of the
executive and legislative authority of the regions of the Southern Federal
District (SFD), the State Duma and Federation Council members, the
secretaries of the regional offices of the party, mayors, doctors,
teachers, scientists, representatives of social movements and youth
organisations.
Five sessions will be held on the first day of the conference -
Innovative Production, Agriculture, Infrastructure and Construction,
Social Sphere, Culture, Sports and Tourism. Representatives of each of the
six subjects of the SFD will present projects of modernisation and
development of these important life spheres for each region. In addition,
the Media Forum with the participation of the United Russia leadership,
federal experts, representatives of regional and municipal media, will be
organised within the conference on Thursday.
The most significant and promising projects will be put forward at the
plenary session, which will be held on May 6. The party leader, Prime
Minister Vladimir Putin is expected to take part in it. Projects selected
at the conference will get support of the party and will form the basis of
the development strategy of the South of Russia.
The SFD interregional conference will be the sixth for United Russia.
Previously, similar forums with the participation of the leader of the
party took place in the Siberian, Volga, North Caucasus, Far Eastern and
Central Federal Districts. The forums approved about 80 regional
investment and social programmes. To control their implementation the
party created a special commission headed by the chairman of the Supreme
Council, State Duma speaker Boris Gryzlov. By the end of the year United
Russia plans to determine the priority development spheres for all eight
federal districts.
At a meeting with the United Russia leadership in mid-April, Putin
approved this approach. He also believes that it will allow United Russia
during Duma elections to offer the electorate a clear-cut electoral
programme. "It is necessary to proceed not from the general theoretical
setting what is good and what is bad, but from the specific problems of
the country, of a particular region, every village and every city," the
prime minister said, adding that "it should all be analysed, the list of
priorities should be complied and, if necessary, changes should be
introduced to the work of government entities and administration,
including through the adoption of amendments to the existing law on the
budget." This is on which, Putin believes, the election programme of
United Russia should be built.
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