国际英语新闻：Russia issues strategy for North Caucasus development until 2025

MOSCOW, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Russian government has adopted a strategy of social and economic development for the North Caucasus federal district until 2025, the official government website reported on Monday.

The strategy aimed to guarantee the stable development of the region, boost livelihood and employment of local residents, as well as improve interethnic relations.

According to the strategy, by 2025, the average regional gross domestic product should increase by 1.7 times, the regional fiscal budget should quadruple, and the average resident's monthly income should increase by 1.5 times.

Another objective of the strategy was the creation of 400,000 new jobs, thus cutting unemployment rate from 16 percent to 5 percent.

According to the program's preface, the possibilities for the district's development have not been fully utilized due to low investment attraction and unstable situation, high unemployment -- up to 55 percent of the population in several regions -- and rampant crimes.

The program envisioned the optimal scenario implementation which implied the development of tourism industry, modernization of social infrastructure, improvement of investment climate for Russian and foreign investors, among others.

Presidential Envoy to North Caucasus and Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Khloponin said previously that the concrete implementation plan for the program is due out in November.

President Dmitry Medvedev decided in January to establish the eighth federal district of Russia in North Caucasus, with Khloponin, former businessman and governor of the Krasnoyarsk region, appointed the presidential special envoy to the turbulent region.

The move was designed to help lift the region out of its economic backwardness and rid it of rampant militant violence often triggered by clan rivalry, entrenched unemployment and bureaucratic corruption.