Heads of Russian regions will report on environmental situation - president
MOSCOW. Nov 30 (Interfax) - President Dmitry Medvedev has directed the heads of the regions to submit annual reports on the state of the environment.
"I am directing the heads of the subfederal entities to annually submit reports on the environment in their regions. The public in the regions must have complete and absolutely reliable information," Medvedev said in his State of the Nation address to the Federal Assembly on Tuesday.
"The quality of the environment must become an important quality-of-life indicator for the socioeconomic development of the territories. Accordingly, it must become an estimate of the effectiveness of the local executive bodies," he said.
"As for non-governmental environmental organizations, a substantive dialog must be conducted and mutually acceptable solutions reached with those that are truly concerned about preserving the environment, before industrial and infrastructure facilities are built," he said.