The new body, which includes two municipalities in Arkhangelsk Oblast and one in the neighboring Nenets AO, is to help the local authorities handle challenges connected with the recent establishment of the Arctic Zone, a territorial area established by the government in May 2014, a press release from the Arkhangelsk regional government reads.
”When we talk about the Arctic, it is usually about the development of [mineral] deposits, the Northern Sea Route and ports […] However, how do people live in the Arctic, what are their problems and concerns, what kind of assistance do they need?”, Arkhangelsk Governor Igor Orlov said in connection with the signing ceremony for the new association. ”These are issues which all need to be addressed at the level of municipalities, and that is the reason for the establishment of the new association”, he added.
The territories included in the Arctic Zone will benefit from a set of privileges. The zone includes all of Murmansk Oblast and the Nenets AO, but only the six northernmost municipalities of Arkhangelsk Oblast. Among those municipalites are the cities of Arkhangelsk, Severodvinsk and Novodvinsk.
