“But the best part is that the population of the Kurils has stopped declining. In fact there has been growth.”

“I consider it extremely important for members of the government of the Russian Federation to visit the Kuril Islands. We have done this in the past, and naturally, this practice will be continued by the new government. The reasons for this are obvious: this is a very important part of the Sakhalin Region and of our Russian land as a whole.”

The main topic of discussion was the development of the region and above all transport issues. The prime minister stressed in this regard that “Sometimes you have to take decisions which may require additional funding but which will allow transport access to be maintained for a significant number of people.”