The head of Bashkiria Radiy Khabirov at a meeting with the defenders of mount Kushtau said that it would be assigned the status of a specially protected area and there would not be extracted minerals.
As the head of the region recalled, he previously stated that the mountain would not be developed until the parties find a compromise, and the situation with Kushtau and the Bashkir soda company (BSC) "destabilizes" the Republic.
"Therefore, I have this proposal: I give two weeks to form a coordination meeting, we should hold consultations and find a solution. If you don't find a solution, I will send you the documents on September 4. We have prepared a complete package to give Kushtau the status of a specially protected area. The story of Kushtau closed. Its development is impossible, " Khabirov said.
On Shikhan Kushtau in the Ishimbay district of Bashkiria, on August 15 and 16, eco-activists protested over the development of the BSC. After Khabirov arrived at the site and promised to stop all work until a compromise was reached, the protesters dispersed.
According to the authorities, two policemen were injured during the conflict. The Republican CSHR reported 30 arrests for disobeying the police and 90 administrative reports.
Kushtau is one of the mountains in the chain of four shikhans near the Bashkir city of Sterlitamak. On its slope there are ski trails, a recreation center and children's camps.
In 2018, BSC said that the company may stop production after 2022 due to a lack of raw materials. Since Soviet times, the company has developed one of the four Shihan of Shahtau, later it practically disappeared.
In December 2019, Khabirov said that he allowed the company to develop Kushtau, so as not to leave a thousand residents of Sterlitamak without work.
In August 2020, the management of the BSC appealed to the police, saying that pickets of public activists interfere with deforestation in Kushtau.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Creative Commons
Based on materials from RIA Novosti