Russia's Construction Committee, UN Center For Populated Places Ink Programme Of Cooperation Until 2004

The Russian Committee for Construction and the United Nations' Construction Center /Habitat/ have signed a programme of cooperation until 2004, said Anvar Shamuzafarov, chairman of the Committee, at a press conference on Tuesday. Within the framework of this programme a project for improving methods of municipal development on the example of the Leningrad region and Pskov (Russia's north-western region) will be materialised. It is also proposed to draw up a project for sustained development of populated places with the use of the novel string-transport system. Specialists from the Russian committee explained that the system intends arranging transport movements 15 meters above populated places in a bid to prevent disturbing the municipal habitat. According to Anvar Shamuzafarov, the programme costs 150,000 dollars, which Russia is going to transfer to the UN Construction Center. In turn, Habitat will help the Russian Committee to develop new approaches to bankrolling construction of existing projects at the international level. Habitat executive director Ann Tibaijuki, now in Russia on an official visit, said that the programme will help to promote mutual interest and exchange experience. During her visit she is going to meet with Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov and discuss problems of the Russian capital as one of the major megapolises in the world.