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
“Support from Russian citizens has always helped us, and I’m confident that the government’s future line-up will rely on the people. We must never forget about the needs of ordinary people. We must always remember how government-level decisions influence the lives of all ordinary Russian citizens.”
“We are in the midst of changes in the Armed Forces. We want our weaponry and training level to be up to current challenges, so that our military personnel could use modern methods of warfare, if, God forbid, it happens. They are constantly changing in connection with the development of military equipment.”
“Our national legislation provides for the protection of the working people in the event of their employers' bankruptcy. The same applies to delayed salary payments. These debts must be paid off to the working people first and foremost. Our international commitments will buttress our domestic legislation's guarantees. In the past few years, we have signed a whole package of ILO legal documents. This will benefit our labour legislation, consolidate the rights and guarantees of the working people and give labour unions more opportunities to enforce these guarantees and uphold employee rights.”
“We must give preferences to qualified foreign workers that are compatible with our culture and customs. This practice exists in all civilised countries and Russia must not be an exception. Russia must not be a country that anyone can enter whenever and however he likes. We must coordinate the work of the migration service, law enforcement (primarily the Ministry of the Interior and the FSB), the regions and, last but not the least, business in order to have a clear idea of how many people and with which skills are required in this or that region. We must primarily employ guest workers in those jobs for which it is difficult to find Russian citizens.”
“First, we must refuse entry to Russia (for five to 10 years and maybe more) to those who have been caught on repeated flagrant violations of migration legislation or have been expelled from the country by a court decision. Second, we must toughen penalties against those who encourage illegal immigration.”
“We must implement several railway development projects in northwestern and southern Russia, as well as in the far eastern parts of the country. In addition, a self-regulating organisation similar to the Market Board in the power engineering industry needs to be established in order to coordinate work and balance the interests of market participants. I believe we must revise the transport strategy immediately. This issue holds back implementation of our plans to develop natural resources and create new industrial centres.”
“Safety is our top priority. For this reason, we have decided to allocate some 500 million roubles more from the federal budget directly for research and development in this area. The money will be spent on development of personal protective equipment, rescue aids and comprehensive mine safety systems.”
“I would firstly like to point out the need to be very careful about exploring the stocks of both existing and newly discovered fields. I am talking about traditional mining areas such as Kuzbass, Eastern Donbass, Vorkuta, and prospective areas in Tuva and Yakutia. Second, we need to step up the implementation of the latest coal production, processing and enrichment techniques, which significantly increase the added value. <…>Third, we will need skilled employees and scientific research if we want to bring the coal industry in line with the highest international standards. <…>Fourth, we need to remove all infrastructure limitations that stand in the way of the further development of the industry.”
“In 2011, Russia produced a total of 336 million metric tons of coal. The results of the Russian coal industry were quite good last year. Profits increased by more than 50%, reaching 122 billion roubles. A solid financial foundation allows us to invest in the development and modernisation of new fields, and the re-equipment of the currently operating facilities. This all pays off in the form of a modern and competitive industry.”
“Now for the future prospects. Experts predict that the demand for coal will grow in the coming decades, both in Russia and in the global market, which is particularly important. Our coal industry, related industries and transport infrastructure must be ready to respond to this demand. We must be able both to maintain and to significantly extend our presence in the market, including the highly promising Asian and Pacific markets.”
“We see fewer and fewer literary publications in the languages of small ethnic groups of Russia. This cultural diversity that we often mention and that we take pride in could be lost unless we recover this system of support for cultures and languages of the peoples of the Russian Federation. Quite simply, it is necessary to extend funds.”
“We must eradicate the fundamental causes behind corruption, and we must make sure that every act of corruption is punished. For our part, we will continue to improve the performance of law-enforcement bodies, courts of law, and authorities at all levels. Public and other human rights organisations and the media must react to any instance of corruption or any attempt to abuse one's position or turn a profit at the expense of the people. Your voice and the position of civil society are a crucial component in our common fight against corruption.”
“I believe that the federal government should set up a special agency responsible for ethnic development, inter-ethnic accord and interaction. <…> Rather it should be a collegial body with certain powers to work directly with the president and top government officials. <…>We also expect the traditional religions to be actively involved in these policy consultations.”
“Although very different, each of them – the Russian Orthodox Church, Islam, Buddhism and Judaism – has the same basic and universal underlying moral and spiritual values: compassion, cooperation, truth, justice, respect for elders, the ideals of family and work. These moral targets cannot be replaced, and must be strengthened. I am confident that the government and society should welcome and support the efforts of the different faiths in education, social welfare and in the Armed Forces. At the same time, Russia should remain a secular state.”
“Any individual living in this country should be keenly aware of their faith and ethnicity. But above all they must be citizens of Russia – and be proud of it. No one has the right to place ethnic and religious concerns above state law. The law, however, must take account of ethnic and religious concerns.”
“In 2011 over 1.7 million children were born and the death rate decreased by 5.6%. I’m pleased to say that these figures are the best Russia has seen in the last 19 years. Overall, the population loss also decreased 1.8 times, and the average life expectancy increased one and half years to 70.3 years in 2011 in the Russian Federation. These indices are absolutely comparable with European indices.”
“The infant mortality rate decreased, too. Including immigration, the total Russian population grew by 160,000 to 143 million. <…>I also want to point out that it is necessary to do much more than has recently been done. The demographic problem remains one of the most sensitive problems in Europe and in Russia, in particular. Meanwhile I am glad to note that our efforts have not been in vain. It is necessary to intensify our efforts in this area.”
“We are currently carrying out intensive work in preparation for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. This large-scale project must pool together the efforts of the state, the business community, public organisations and, of course, fans and football supporters. I have no doubt that we will hold this event in a befitting manner, that we will host one of the most outstanding FIFA World Cups in the history of this wonderful sport, in the history of football.”
“I would like to note that football in Russia has always been more than just a sport. It would be no exaggeration to say that this spectacular, exciting and captivating game has become a way of life for many generations of this country's citizens. We are rightly proud of the achievements of our national team, whose achievements include Olympic gold medals and victory at the UEFA European Football Championship. We are proud of our wonderful clubs, who have won numerous continental cups.”
“Russia will host the FIFA World Cup for the first time. I would like to stress once again that we are grateful to FIFA and all the representatives of the world football community for making this choice. As we see it, it is an acknowledgement of this country's achievements in the development of sport and football and an assessment of the new Russia in general as an open and successful country, setting itself the most ambitious goals and capable of holding such large-scale events.”
