OREANDA-NEWS. December 27, 2010. The meeting of ministers of the Government of Karelia with representatives of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (employers) of the republic was held. The point at issue was the Concept of social and economic development of the region to 2015. Head of Karelia Andrei Nelidov addressed to the meeting of representatives of the authority and business.

"Today we discuss the Concept of development of the republic. Its idea is that the state is responsible for social support of its citizens, – Head of Karelia said. – Success in this area depends on steady incomes in the region, and the budgetary recharge is a result of your activity, work of your business. The one who calls himself an enterpreneur should feel his responsibility to the people.

"It often happens that in the same piece of woodland there work two enterprises, and one of them is fetching the treasury successfully, while another keeps complaining about his problems. Which of them would you grant your property on lease: the one who earns his income, or the one who suffers losses and always asks for help? The same is the attitude of the state. It is a fair attitude. We realise, that the business may have hard time, however, you should think of those who need social support of the state. Relations between the state and business should turn from pressure against each other to reasonable dialogue. Therefore, we are ready to support your offers that will be focused on increase in competitive abilities of the republic," – Head of Karelia said.

Valentin Luntsevich, Deputy Head of the Republic of Karelia and Minister of Economic Development has introduced substantive provisions of the Concept of social and economic development of the republic to the entrepreneurs. Participants of the meeting have supported the Concept and have offered some amendments to it.

According to Efim Ashkineizer, director of the branch of Karelenergo Inter-Regional High-Voltage Distribution Grid Company of the North-West, in the years to come Karelian power engineering specialists are ready to provide necessary power capacities for the population and enterprises of the republic. It will be promoted by the investment program developed in the branch and providing modernization of electric mains and substations in the next five years.

As vice-president of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (employers) of the RK Nikolay Makarov has pointed out, development of the Concept, despite of all complexity of this work, is crowned with success. As he said, within a rather short period the working group has managed to prepare a document of high quality.

Vice-rector for Innovation and Production Activities of Petrozavodsk State University Ilya Shegelman has also supported the Concept in his speech. He has also suggested that the Concept takes into consideration the university's solutions in the field of use of biofuel in the republic and development of bioenergetics.

Karelian miners are ready to take active part in implementation of the Concept of development of the republic, as First Vice-President of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, President of the Union of Miners of the RK Vladimir Aminov said. Other representatives of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs have supported them in their statements.

As a result of the meeting, its participants have decided to support the draft Concept of social and economic development of the Republic of Karelia for the period through to 2015 developed by the Government of the republic. The deadline for making suggestions to the Concept is December, 24.