VLADIVOSTOK, July 31 (RIA Novosti) - It is necessary to develop infrastructure in the Russian Far East, including on the Kuril Islands, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov told a news conference here. The minister is on an inspection tour of the region from July 28 till August 1.
"I do realize that the infrastructure on the Kuril Islands is poorly developed and we need to make large investments to improve the living conditions of our citizens residing there, including military personnel," the minister said.
He added that the infrastructure must be built for both the defense and civilian purposes.
The Russian government is currently working on the final stage of the development of a state program on investments in the Far East.
The Kurils is a chain of volcanic islands that stretches for about 1,200 kilometers between the Kamchatka Peninsula (Russia) and the Hokkaido Island (Japan)
