BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 20. Special approaches and mechanisms for state and municipal administration should be developed to solve complex problems in mountainous areas, Member of the Committee on Agrarian Issues of the State Duma of Russian Federal Assembly Alexey Lavrinenko said in an appeal to the participants of an event "Sustainable Development of Mountain Settlements" within the framework of WUF13 in Baku, TurkicWorld reports.
He noted that Russia is currently discussing the need to adopt a separate law on mountainous areas at the federal level.
"The relevant legislative initiative is being prepared by the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia. However, certain legal mechanisms already exist to stimulate the economic and regional development of mountainous areas. For this purpose, the creation of various zones with special benefits for investors and entrepreneurs is allowed," he explained.
The committee member emphasized that currently in Russia, solving the problems of socio-economic development of individual regions is one of the special directions of state strategic management.
"However, at the federal level, mountainous areas are not distinguished as a separate object of national management. This means that the development of these areas is ensured through the general mechanisms applied to other settlements. In the Russian spatial development strategy until 2035, mountainous areas are not separately mentioned as an object of special support of the social state," Lavrinenko said.
According to him, an analysis of regional documents shows that the subjects of Russia face similar problems.
"One of the main social factors is the low population density of mountainous areas and the uneven distribution of the population. Despite the low population, migration from mountainous regions to more densely populated areas continues," he added.
Today marks the fourth day of WUF13 in Baku.
The first day included a ministerial meeting dedicated to the New Urban Agenda, a ministerial roundtable, assemblies for women and civil society, business sessions, and discussions on urban prosperity. An official ceremony marking the raising of the UN and Azerbaijani flags also took place.
The second day stood out for the inaugural Leaders' Summit, featuring high-level discussions on the global housing crisis, urbanization policy, and urban resilience. Concurrently, the opening of the Mexico City pavilion took place, serving as a significant platform for expanding cooperation with the Latin American region and preparing for WUF14.
The third day of WUF13 featured a comprehensive program of events covering the global housing crisis, the formation of safe and inclusive cities, climate resilience, artificial intelligence and urban governance, green urbanization, social equity, and sustainable transport.
WUF13, which has attracted more than 40,000 registered participants from 182 countries, will continue until May 22. Held under the theme "Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities," the forum brings together governments, international organizations, experts, and representatives of civil society to strengthen global cooperation in the field of sustainable urban development.
