Bashkiria Government proposes to designate South Bashkortostan agglomeration for intensive development

UFA, 3 September 2018. /Bashinform News Agency, Elvira Latypova/ translated by Tatiana Aksyutina/. The Government of the republic proposes to single out within the republic’s territory a South-Bashkortostan agglomeration for including it in the Spatial Development Strategy of the Russian Federation until 2025. The document should be adopted in November. The new territorial entity will include the cities of Sterlitamak, Salavat, Ishimbay, as well as Sterlitamak and Ishimbay districts. This was stated by the Minister of Economic Development RB Sergei Novikov at a meeting in the Government of the republic on Monday.

So far the Strategy draft assumes a concentration of economic growth in only one metropolitan area - Ufa. It includes the city of Ufa, Aurgazy, Blagoveshchensk, Blagovar, Iglino, Karmaskaly, Kushnarenkovo, Ufa and Chishmy districts. The regional authorities plan to expand it and include into it the Arkhangelsk, Nurimanovo, Birsk, Mishkino, Chekmagush, Buzdyak and Davlekanovo districts.

Agglomerations are "growth points" in the region, which should grow at a faster pace according to the objectives of the Strategy.

The Spatial Development Strategy RF establishes a list of specializations for each region. For Bashkortostan, the project lists almost all of its core competencies: agriculture, mining, petrochemistry, metallurgy, instrumentation, engineering, tourism, IT, furniture, clothing, food, medicine and medical products. The Government of RB believes that the range of competencies should be supplemented by the production of computers, electronic optical products, and electrical equipment.