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Bids for preparing feasibility studies for the projects planned to be constructed for the APEC summit in Vladivostok will be announced open starting April 1, the federal officials said after the meeting in Moscow on Wednesday.

“The finances for carrying out the feasibility studies will be allocated by this April and on April 1 we will announce bids open for the projects,” head of Transportation Ministry Igor Levitin told reporters after the meeting of the state commission devoted to the development of the Far Eastern regions of Russia.

Levitin revealed that only the feasibility study for the construction of the bridge from Vladivostok to Russky Island is finished and is being considered for approval by the state expertise commission. The financing of the feasibility study for the bridge was provided by Primorye’s administration, he said.

During the state commission meeting, the officials also discussed ways of developing transportation infrastructure in the Russian Far East. Prime Minister of Russia Viktor Zubkov urged officials to consider transportation benefits for residents of the country’s remote territories.

Prices for plane and train tickets should be reasonable and the federal ministries and regional authorities should work on these issues, Zubkov said.

According to Zubkov, 50 billion rubles ($2.1 billion) are allotted in the federal budget for solving transportation problems in the Far East of Russia. The government plans to subsidize train and plane fares for residents traveling to the western part of Russia, Zubkov noted.

The Far Eastern region, occupying more than 40 percent of the country’s territory with more than 8 million people residing in it, is strategically important for Russia, Zubkov stressed.


From Ria Novosti news agency and Itar-Tass news agency