A committee responsible for organizing and coordinating the international conference on Russia’s gas and oil producing regions’ role in the achievement of Millennium Development Goals met in Khanty-Mansiysk to discuss the preparation process. Deputy Head of Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Region Government Vladimir Karasev was requested by Governor of Yugra Alexander Filipenko to chair the meeting. The event was attended by Chairman of the Soviet of the Federation North Development Committee and Northern Forum Association’s Regional Coordinator Gennady Oleynik, who informed the audience that, according to Northern Forum Association’s CEO Priscilla Wall, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative Marco Borsotti and the Centre for Innovative Partnerships Director Christophe Nuttall’s written request, the conference should be postponed till a later date.

Alexander Filipenko suggested putting the event off until 2009, which was agreed upon. The exact date is to be determined after all the conference coordinators have been consulted.