Makhachkala, May 22, 2014. Today, the expert forum named "Caspian the Grey-Haired" opened in the cultural and entertainment center "Moscow" in Kaspiysk bringing together Daghestani Head Ramazan Abdulatipov, Astrakhan Region Governor Alexander Zhilkin, the chairman of the Chechen Parliament Dukuvakha Abdurakhmanov, and the chairman of Daghestan National Assembly Hizri Shikhsaidov.

Opening the event, Ramazan Abdulatipov pointed out the forum’s significance. "The forum’s subject of "Codes of culture and virtue concepts of mountain civilizations" is global and really meaningful for Daghestan and the Caucasus. Plus, it demonstrates the enormous diversity of our mountain areas, landscapes, cultures, peoples, and communities," – he said.

Abdulatipov emphasized that Daghestan government and Daghestan National Assembly are working on a program of developing the republic’s mountainous areas for 2014-2018. "Perhaps, we won’t get enough funds to implement this program, but the program is undoubtedly needed now since 44 % of the Daghestan territory is mountainous areas, 1,166 villages are highland villages, but so far there is no program on sustainable development of mountain areas", - Ramazan Abdulatipov said.

The "Caspian the Grey-Haired" is a communication platform bringing together scientists, public figures and politicians to solve problems of the Caucasus, the Caspian region and Russia as a whole. During the forum, the Daghestan and the Astrakhan region governments will sign an agreement on trade, economic, scientific, technical, social and cultural cooperation. Later, guests from Astrakhan will get acquainted with investment and priority projects of Daghestan development.