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.”
“Our trade and economic relations are making headway. Last year trade increased by 25%, and in the first half of this year it rose by another 50%. Last year Britain was our biggest trade and economic partner in terms of current investments.”
“Over the past few months there has been a series of plane crashes and incidents in Russia. This is yet another cause to seriously consider what is going on in that industry. The issue is not only the aircraft fleet. We should also consider airport infrastructure, the provision of the latest equipment for monitoring the technical safety of aircraft’s parts and recording their technical parameters. We must also highlight the training of flight crews, the provision of simulation equipment to airlines and their ability to train the crews to work in modern conditions. In fact, the size of companies does not matter; all companies, big and small, must be able to do this and to strictly comply with these requirements. Those that do so will be able to continue operating; those that don’t will be shut down. No commercial or market considerations are more important than the safety of our citizens.”
“As you know, in addition to the approved armament programme, there is a ‘trillion programme’ – not one trillion but three trillion [roubles] have been invested in the upgrade of the defence industry in order to ensure the security and sovereignty of our motherland for years to come. In the next ten years, we will almost completely re-equip our armed forces. The defence industry received full support from the government in difficult economic times, and it was absolutely the correct decision for the long-term interests of our country.”
“We have so much to show you. This is the first time the forum is displaying pre-production samples of nearly every type of military equipment, not only ground-based weapons. Some of the latest equipment that is very interesting from the technical point of view is on display here. <…> This equipment is a source of pride for Russia and visible proof of our defence industry’s enormous potential – in terms of research, personnel and production.”
“Russia will enjoy an immense legacy from hosting largest international forums. We must make sure that we handle them wisely. This potential, as I said, can and must serve Russia’s interests, work for future development, future progress of our country. <…>The future intended purpose of such facilities (villages, sports centres and public infrastructure) must be taken into consideration at the project development stage.”
“Gas has reached Primorye and will be used to develop the region, directly serving the interests of the Russians who live here. <…> Next year we will launch one more large energy project: we will lay a gas pipeline from Yakutia in order to increase the energy security of the region and to enhance its stability.”
“In 2012, the facilities of the Far Eastern Federal University will host the APEC summit. We are also entering the final stage of preparations for the World Student Games in Kazan, as you know, and for the Winter Olympics in Sochi. Russia will also host the World Football Cup and the World Ice Hockey Cup. Why am I pointing this out? Because we will try to hold these events in the same way that we have handled things here, to ensure that the legacy of these events is not simply worthy, but that it serves our people for many years to come. This is investment in development, in the new face of our cities and regions, in the quality of our people’s lives, in infrastructure and construction.”
“Innovation development programmes must rely on a solid base of fundamental and applied research. Business has a large role to play in the latter, whereas the government should be responsible for fundamental research. Our goal is to create a well-balanced and dynamic R&D sector that will be able to meet today's challenges. Over the next 10 years we will need to more than double investment in R&D, increasing its share to 2.5%-3% of the GDP. Importantly, half of this investment must come from the business community.”
“We need modern safety standards, reliability and durability of motorways. For this, we’ll have to change a lot in the principles and logic of the relations between contractors and road builders in order to make quality construction profitable. The creation of comprehensive contracts should be one of the effective means of resolving this issue. <…>Today, these contracts are not provided for by law in road construction. I hope the current amendments will make it possible to make broader use of public-private partnerships, both for the construction of federal motorways and for upgrading the regional road network.”
“The amount of gas that will be supplied is comparable to the energy produced by 11 nuclear power stations. This means that 55 billion cubic metres will be delivered annually for 50 years, and this is a significant contribution both to the European and global energy sector, while at the same time adhering to the most up-to-date environmental standards.”
“There is no doubt that the Popular Front’s objectives that I have just mentioned are not limited merely to elections and new power formation mechanisms. Perhaps the most important thing is the open discussion of the society and the country’s primary challenges. To implement our strategic goals and bring Russia to a higher level, we will need to take crucial decisions, thoroughly discuss important projects, and choose those priorities that merit special attention. Such decisions should be based on the support of the entire Russian people; they should not be taken solely by officials or experts. And these decisions should be competent and precise as well as comprehensible, in-demand and supported by society. They should meet the interests of the overwhelming majority of Russian citizens, which means that they must be fair.”
“We are about to start a pilot project to develop the necessary infrastructure at 12 specially protected natural areas. We will provide 1.5 billion roubles for this purpose, which we have already set aside in the budget. Our goal is to make unique natural landmarks available to tourists, in the way this is done all over the world, so that young people, families with children could come visit and enjoy the spectacular natural beauty of our nation.”
“Certainly, not a single industrial project, neither production on the shelf nor construction of new plants, will be implemented without compliance with the most stringent ecological requirements. A protective, civilised relationship with nature is a prerequisite for the implementation of all our development programmes. Another 11 federal nature reserves and 20 national parks will be established in Russia within the next ten years.”
“The goal is at least to double the amount of road construction in Russia. That calls not only for money and advanced technologies, but for new approaches to infrastructure development and attracting investments, and above all various models of public-private partnership.”
“This year alone we have allocated 34 billion roubles for municipal road repairs and local grounds development in all big cities that are regional administrative centres. That amount includes the 3.7 billion roubles provided by the federal budget for municipal road repairs and local grounds development in big cities in the Northwestern Federal District. <…> The federal government is committed to overhauling all the federal highways in the next five years: the Russia, Baltia, Kola, Narva, Scandinavia and Kholmogory motorways. We will rebuild and broaden the border crossings to spare people humiliating traffic jams, but we very much hope that our neighbours in adjacent territories will implement their development programmes, too.”
“Today, the Northwestern Federal District plays as important a role in the country’s life, promoting Russia’s integration with the global economy. Suffice it to say that in 2010, the northwestern regions, with their logistics potential, accounted for one-third of Russia’s trade. I believe that these regions can be national leaders in transport and modern logistics development, setting high standards in this industry.”
“I’d like to emphasise that anyone who wants to innovate, to attain a goal and achieve success must be given an opportunity to realise their potential as well as our support. United Russia is open to anyone who is ready to advance civil or business initiatives.”
“The past conferences were platforms where fresh ideas were proposed and improved upon and also – let me stress this – where energetic and dedicated people could prove their worth. Although different, these people had something very important in common – confidence in Russia’s future. They set themselves ambitious goals, pursue their plans without finding excuses, and gradually improve life around them, in their city, town, village, region, or in Russia as a whole.”
“Deutsche Bank is our longstanding partner and has been working in Russia since 1881. Over that time, we have made significant progress in various areas of cooperation. <…> This year, for the first time, Russia’s Finance Ministry placed its rouble-denominated domestic bonds on international markets. Deutsche Bank was among the institutions that helped Russia with this. I would like to thank you for your cooperation. The project has gone very smoothly.”
