Participants of the Gargia conference 2010 (from left): Vyacheslav Shadrin, Head of the council of elders of the Jukaghirene (Yakutia) DarleneBouvier, lecturer (Canada), Eeva-Maarit Aikio, PhD student of Saami University College (Norway), Ekaterina Evseeva, director of Eyge Environmental Educational Centre (Yakutia), Bjarne Store-Jakobsen, asviser executive council (Saami Parliament, Norway), Svetlana Egorova, Evenk community leader (Yakutia), Andra Aldea-Partanen, project managerLånrot Institute Kajaani U. Consortium (Finland), Tor Gjertsen, Leader of the UArctic TN on Local and Regional Development (FiUC, Norway), Irina Koroleva, Head of agricultural department of the Izhma region (Komi republic), Valeria Golubeva, USTU representative (Komi republic), Nikolay Rochev, Leader of Izvatas movement (Komi republic), Dmitriy Filippov, lecturer of Institute of finance and economics, NEFU (Yakutia).

As it was decided in September 2010 during the official visit of associated professor Tor Gjertsen, Leader of the Thematic Network on Local and Regional Development, to Ukhta State Technical University and Syktyvkar State University, the first step in the developing of partnership with the Komi republic – participating of the representatives of Izhma region in the Gargia conference 2010 - has been realized.

Fruitful and close work with Yakutian delegation on relevant issues during the days of conference allowed finding new solutions and setting up new goals for further partnership. People of Yakutia generously shared the results of their active work during previous two years of cooperation within the TN. Studying of Aldan region`s cases helped to motivate and inspire Komi representatives for more intensive, courageous and responsible actions in relation of further destiny of Izhma region.

Next summer, under protection of the Uarctic Thematic Network, Ukhta State Technical University together with the University College of Finnmark and Gaisa Business Park, the only Saami business park in the world, will introduce innovation technologies, such as microcredit, for small and medium sized enterprises during summer business schools in two republics in Russia: Komi and Sakha.

For Komi republic realization of the summer school project has become possible first of all thanks to the support of the Barents secretariat which kindly decided to fund it. In December Tor Gjertsen is invited to Ukhta to discuss details of upcoming cooperation with USTU and SSU professors and staff and work out a plan for start-up conference in Komi republic.

Preparatory work for all these upcoming events within the Izhma region is already being realised by Izvatas association.