State Duma discusses draft federal law on supporting the indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and Far East
© RIA Novosti. Vladimir Fedorenko

State Duma discusses draft federal law on supporting the indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and Far East

The State Duma held a meeting of the working group on regional policy and the North and Far East devoted in particular to the draft federal law, On State Support to Persons Belonging to the Indigenous Peoples of Russia's North, Siberia and Far East, Conducting a Nomadic and/or Semi-Nomadic Way of Life, Arctic-Info reported.

During the discussion, Yamal experts proposed the creation of an annex to the law by developing a northern reindeer herding concept through 2020. According to the press service of the Salekhard administration, the document will provide an impetus to the economic unification of regions engaged in reindeer breeding. It will also enable the local authorities to focus their financial efforts on specific market areas, which will help to divide labor between the regions for the benefit of the reindeer herding industry. 

"We should take into account the prospects for developing the economies of traditional farms. Moreover, we should take every effort to increase the economic potential of reindeer herding in the Arctic regions," said Timur Akchurin, executive director of the Russian Union of Reindeer Herders.

The experts also proposed to introduce the notion of nomadic kindergartens in the draft law. This will help to receive additional funding to construct kindergartens and purchase the necessary educational equipment.

The working group members voted to adopt the general concept of the draft law, which should be finalized and further discussed.