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.”
«Undoubtedly, United Russia has to increase its efforts and do everything possible to ensure a better life for the Russian people; I mean here all our people regardless of their political views».
«Moreover, it is my opinion that regions and municipal entities must become key players in the process of innovation development. A turn towards innovation is impossible at the sole expense of the federal government, separate projects and programmes. <…> We must facilitate regional innovation to the greatest possible extent and provide the regions with effective tools and incentives for its development».
“Japan is our neighbour. It is a friendly country. We know about the problems that we inherited from the past. But this is a long-term reliable partner. We should do everything to help Japan in this situation.”
“We need to invest money in order to improve specialists’ qualifications, and we need to think about the future. One of the main priorities is the adoption of modern technology in the industry. The centres must be as effective as possible. We should eliminate the need for patients to wait in line and for doctors to fill in endless forms.”
“The government plans to disburse considerable amounts of money in federal allocations for the development of the medical equipment industry and the pharmaceutical sector. More than 120 billion roubles have been earmarked, all in all, including 40 billion in targeted funding for improving the manufacture of medical equipment.”
“I’d like to reiterate that our goal is to create truly modern medical centres in every sense of the word: from the adoption of high technology to comfortable conditions in the wards. And here much depends on the approach of the government – at both federal and regional levels. It is very important to form strong professional teams by attracting good specialists, doctors, and mid-level personnel. We must do our utmost to make positions at such centres prestigious and to increase the prestige of the profession in general.”
“As part of the new budget structure, we must set priorities more clearly, focus on key projects for social, economic, scientific, and technological development, and ensure the fulfillment of our programmes in national security and defence.”
“The government will approve the terms and parameters of social and economic development for 2012 – 2014 and the guidelines of tax and customs policy no later than late April or early May. In June, we will have to decide on the key aspects of the federal budget, including volumes of revenues and expenses and limits on the budget deficit. The budget must be submitted to the State Duma no later than October 1. We will be drafting the main financial statement as transparently as possible, as we always do. We will attract deputies of the State Duma and members of the Federation Council to this work.”
“We are holding dynamic negotiations with European countries on introducing visa-free travel between Russia and the European Union. The United States has a visa-free regime with nearly all of the EU countries. If Russia and the United States agreed on visa-free travel before Russia and the European Union do so, it would be a historic step in the development of US-Russian relations.”
“I am pleased to say that Russian investment in the United States keeps growing, including in humanitarian projects and in such sensitive sectors as nuclear engineering. All these projects get the approval of the US Committee on Foreign Investment, which is very gratifying. The number of ties between Americans and Russians keep growing in many spheres at a considerable pace.”
“We need market-based and economically sound prices. As I have already said, we have no intention of undermining the economy of our oil companies. But we must rule out any speculation and corporate collusion whatsoever.”
“I suggest that United Russia should propose and execute a special, socially important project to support Russian museums and contribute to restoring sites of historical or cultural interest. War memorials should receive special attention. While moving forward, we must always remember that we are building our future on a strong foundation – the 1,000-year history of Russia, its accomplishments, the courage and patience of our fathers.”
“In 2009 – 2010, the national research universities of the Central Federal District received 5 billion roubles from the federal budget. In 2010 – 2011, they will receive another 5 billion roubles towards improvements. We allocated another 19 billion roubles to help higher educational institutions and private businesses implement jointly developed high-technology projects. Russian companies will be able to benefit from R&D and introduce new products and technology on the market. As for the universities, they will get the opportunity to update their research platforms and provide ambitious and promising work for their employees. We must pay special attention to the following: it is particularly important to attract students and post-graduate students to this work, giving our young people the opportunity to experience professional fulfillment and find their place in the sphere of science and high technology.”
“Science cities, that achieve the best results in the sphere of innovation, complete ambitious science and technology projects, successfully commercialise these intellectual products, and integrate science and production, will be the first to receive money from the federal budget. In modern times, rapidly changing global tendencies require sharp competitive growth in Russian education and science. It is necessary to attract the best Russian and foreign specialists in Russian institutions of higher education. To that end, we are launching a grant support programme.”
“We have to provide greater freedom for leading regions. The stimulating role of federal budget support should be strengthened and financial autonomy extended for those entities that succeed in developing the local economy and modernising the social sector.”
“The first sectors to be converted to new technologies will of course be those that pose environmental hazards. For example, major oil refineries – in Moscow, Ryazan, and Yaroslavl – are located practically within the city limits. Residents reasonably complain about the environmental hazards they present: chimney stacks spewing smoke, inefficient purification systems, etc. Over the next few years a drastic modernisation of all of these oil refineries will take place. Companies will invest about 118 billion roubles in modern equipment and conservation efforts, and harmful emissions will be cut almost by half.”
“Despite the budget deficit and post-crisis challenges, we provided benefits to small businesses engaged in the real economy, high technology, and the agricultural sector; residents of technological development zones; small enterprises operating under scientific centres and universities; and private entrepreneurs providing social services.”
“We understand clearly how important it is to develop entrepreneurship. This is why we consistently work to bring down administrative barriers and get rid of various unnecessary and imposed inspections.”
“We are preparing to adjust social pensions, also by 8.8%, as of April 1. We still have some obligations to fulfill. We will consider what to do next in this field. We can't do otherwise: in most cases, pensions are the only or the primary means of subsistence for the elderly. We didn't let their incomes fall during the crisis, and we can't let it happen now.”
