For the first time, Magadan hosted a round table titled "PRO MINERAL RESOURCES: Integrating the Resource Base and Economies of the Arctic and Far East Regions," held on the sidelines of the Northern Forum Regional Coordinators Committee meeting.
The session was moderated by Sergey Davydov, Chairman of the Autonomous Non-Profit Organization "Zolotye Lyudi" (Golden People) Mining Industry Development Institute.
The keynote speakers included:
- Valery Kryukov, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), Scientific Director of the Institute of Economics and Industrial Engineering of the Siberian Branch of the RAS (IEIE SB RAS), and a Northern Forum Goodwill Ambassador, who presented a report titled "Approaches to the Formation of New Mineral and Raw Material Centers in the Arctic and the Far East: Grounded in Building Interregional Connectivity Chains";
- Tatiana Obrucheva, Chair of the Obruchev Heritage Foundation (daughter of S.V. Obruchev and granddaughter of V.A. Obruchev), with a presentation on "The Geological Heritage of the Obruchev Dynasty and Its Significance for the Implementation of the Federal Program 'Geology: Revival of a Legend'";
- Lev Shipunov, Vice-Rector for Research at the North-East State University (NESU), who spoke on "Professional Training for the Industry."
Additional remarks were delivered by Gavril Kirillin, Minister of External Relations and Ethnic Affairs of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and Vice-Chair of the Northern Forum Regional Coordinators Committee; Elena Kolova, Head of the Laboratory of Petrography, Isotope Geochronology, and Ore Formation at the Shilo North-East Interdisciplinary Scientific Research Institute (FEBR AS); and Stanislav Prutskov, Director for Government Relations and Legal Affairs at Susumanzoloto.
At the conclusion of the discussion, the moderator, Sergey Davydov, put forward an initiative to establish a Northern Forum Working Group on Geology and Resource Management.
Other proposals that generated significant interest included:
- The approach outlined by Academician Valery Kryukov on addressing regional challenges, specifically emphasizing the necessity of comprehensive investment impulses designed to diversify the economy of the North and the Arctic.
- The initiative by Tatiana Obrucheva to organize a future expedition retracing the steps of the 1929–1930 Kolyma Geological Expedition of the USSR Academy of Sciences. Led by Sergey Vladimirovich Obruchev, the historic expedition traversed the territories of Yakutia, the Magadan Region, and Chukotka.
The Northern Forum has taken these proposals under consideration for further development and potential implementation.
