Governor of Khanty-Mansiyskiy Autonomous Region Alexander Filippenko spoke at a press briefing in the course of the Russia-EU summit and the 5th Congress of Finno-Ugric Peoples in Khanty-Mansiysk. He did admit that the project on the industrial development of the northern parts of the Urals (known as The Industrial Urals-The Polar Urals) might make a negative impact on the aborigines’ lifestyle and the local environment. To avoid this, the designers and the builders must use the most successful Russian and global experiences of northern lands development as best they can and definitely take into account the local people’s traditional ways and the fauna’s reaction to the changes.

‘I think you know what my feeling is; we must carry out the most detailed expert examinations and consider all the consequences, including the social implications. We’ll have to measure all the risks and make better decisions. Sometimes we’ll probably have to give up on the idea of putting up ore mining plants in some locations if this does not answer our main purpose: to improve people’s life,’ the Governor said.