OREANDA-NEWS  A bridge to Sakhalin needs to be built, despite its high cost, President Vladimir Putin said.

"Dear story. It's not even that the bridge is expensive, but that the adjacent infrastructure to this bridge is the most expensive, but it still needs to be done," he said at a meeting with representatives of indigenous peoples of Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin at a meeting with representatives of the indigenous peoples of Russia as part of the Znanie educational marathon. 

Putin noted that 47 indigenous small peoples live in the country, and the authorities will continue to help them, including in terms of providing social services and supporting traditional crafts. When implementing large-scale projects for the development of Siberia, the Far East, and the Arctic, their interests will be taken into account.

He also stressed that Russia was formed as a union of peoples, so the country's strength lies in its diversity.

The issue of building a stationary ferry to Sakhalin has been repeatedly raised since the middle of the 20th century. The tunnel project between the island and the mainland was conceived back in the 50s of the last century, but then it was not possible to implement it. In 2007, the issue of connecting the shores with a bridge or tunnel was raised again.

In August 2021, the presidential envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District, Yuri Trutnev, said that the government was working on an economic feasibility study for the construction of a bridge to Sakhalin, but only the head of state could make such a significant decision for the country.