VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
Opening the meeting, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said, inter alia: "Mr Medvedev and I would like to talk with you now and not just about the election – it is not often that we get together like this. Let us focus on issues facing the regions, facing the people who live in your regions. This is a good opportunity for us to assess the measures we are taking to solve them."
The meeting also focused on the Housing and Utilities Sector Reforms Foundation, which, Vladimir Putin stated, was working well. "This foundation has been in operation since 2006 and is operating efficiently," the prime minister said. "It might seem like we should close it down, but there is no reason to do so."
In discussing the government defence order, the prime minister recalled that a total of about three trillion roubles would be allocated for the technical retooling of the defence industry. Vladimir Putin explained that if these companies' products are not immediately required, the sums allocated can be used to launch the production of civilian goods.
Speaking about the housing programme for servicemen, Putin emphasised that it would be fully implemented. At the same time, he noted that "housing distribution still suffers from many violations and official indifference; these problems should be reduced to zero, eliminated entirely."
Both the president and the prime minister spoke of the need to establish a special structure to work for the development of East Siberia and the Far East. "Thought must be given to establishing, if not a state-run corporation, then a powerful structure – say, a wholly state-owned joint-stock company to promote East Siberia and the Far East," Putin said.
The personnel pool for the presidential staff and United Russia was another subject raised at the meeting. This led Putin to mention the recent creation of the Strategic Initiatives Agency. "It has some interesting lads on its staff, they are all young managers," the prime minister said.
Touching on the issue of dilapidated housing, the president and the prime minister pointed out the difference between two categories of housing – structurally unsafe housing whose residents must be re-housed under law, and dilapidated housing that falls outside these provisions. "There is a lot of structurally unsafe housing in the country, and we are obliged by law to settle its residents in new places, but there is a lot more dilapidated housing. We should establish a whole comprehensive programme to solve this issue," Putin said, also drawing attention to the need to ensure that there is no increase in the volume of dilapidated housing. "There is another aspect to this problem: it is necessary to ensure that the volume [of dilapidated housing] does not increase. Therefore repairs must be made on time," the prime minister stressed.
During the meeting, Putin asked Alexei Fyodorov, Irkut corporation president who heads the United Russia ticket for the Irkutsk Region, about progress of the new Il-76 project. "The first aircraft is expected to arrive at the airfield by New Year," Fyodorov promised. Putin expressed his hope that "it really will be a profoundly modernised plane."
The prime minister also promised head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov that he would visit and tour its newly-rebuilt capital Grozny. "He did a good job in rebuilding Grozny. I helped with funding, but in reality this is the first time the Chechen authorities have performed efficiently: the money was not stolen, but instead invested in the republic. It is a fine city indeed," the prime minister said. "We have only one request," replied Ramzan Kadyrov. "We ask you to come and take a look." "I will," Putin promised.
