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.”
“At one of our earlier meetings, we said that at least 150 unaffiliated candidates nominated by the Popular Front would be put on the United Russia ticket. In assessing this year’s primaries’ results, I wish we had set that upper limit even higher, because there proved to be so many truly interesting people among those independent and non-party candidates. Our election ticket will be finalised at a United Russia congress in late September, but we will be posting this list for public discussion one month in advance. It’s important that voters be in a position to make an informed decision when the election takes place in December”.
“We have been able to open up new possibilities for Russian civil society to form a national agenda, and I consider this to be extremely important. <…> The number of candidates running in this year’s primaries is three times higher than in 2007. More than 60% of these candidates ran independently or as nominees of public organisations. Some 220,000 electors were present to assess them and their programmes. Half of the electors represent public organizations”.
“We have four official religions that coexist under the law. Islam is one of the official religions. It is not something imported from abroad; Islam is one of the traditional religions of the peoples of Russia, and the people who preach Islam are the citizens of this country, they have no other country. <…> We should ensure that irrespective of faith every citizen abides by the law whether he is Christian or Muslim, Russian, Chechen, Tatar, Bashkir, or whatever. If he breaks the law he must answer for it under the law”.
“But on the whole the trend is positive because investments are flowing into industry – Rosneft has some plans there, new industrial clusters are being created. They are even thinking of creating tourist and skiing clusters and so on. If this trend continues – and I think there is more reason to think that it will than to think the opposite – then the number of people out of work will decline. I have no doubt about it”.
“This year alone 16 new schools are going to be opened, the teacher training university is expanding and a new academic building will be opened at Grozny State University. This year nine hospitals, a maternity centre and a lot of social welfare facilities will open for which there is a great need in Chechnya, of course. The amount of new housing built in the country as a whole increased by 0.8% in the first half of this year, and in Chechnya it increased by 7.2%. <…> The budget has a surplus of six billion in the first half of the year, that is, the revenues exceed spending by six billion. This shows that the economy is properly managed”.
“I would like to ask our colleagues from the Russian regions, and the municipal authorities to have all administrative buildings immediately outfitted with means of accessibility so that people with disabilities will feel comfortable in and around these buildings. This can and must be done immediately.”
“We need to support (and we will continue to do so) public organisations of disabled people. This year, we increased the amount of support to 950 million roubles. As I said, we will support related public organisations, not just organisations of disabled people, but also those that directly work with disabled people, volunteer organisations, and so on.”
“I estimate that by 2016 the number of schools equipped to deliver education to children with disabilities alongside children without disabilities will increase more than eightfold – from 1,200 to 10,000.”
"By expanding access to opportunities for work and increasing the mobility of disabled people, the state is in no way relieving itself of its commitment to provide them with comprehensive support <…>. We have increased disability pensions by 8.8% since February 1, and social benefits by 10.3% since April 1."
“The government will continue to support our aerospace complex, which is an absolute strategic priority for us. From 2009 to 2011 the government allocated more than 270 billion roubles towards programmes in the aviation and space industries. Our country has become fourth in the world in annual expenditures on space exploration. Even <…> during the crisis we have not cut a single air and space programme. We financed all programmes in full, and without missing a beat”.
“In developing the Russian aviation and space industries, we fully understand that our achievements in this sphere do not merely reflect the prestige of our country, important though this is. They also ensure our defence capabilities and our national security, and create the conditions necessary for the country’s modern economic growth and technological advancement. <…> The key here is to create new opportunities for the self-realisation of the people”.
“We are willing to introduce the so-called integration coefficient – that is, decreasing coefficient for energy. This is direct assistance and support, though it isn’t a gift. This coefficient improves Russian businesses’ position in the Belarusian market, so they are willing to meet their Belarusian partners halfway. This position has been coordinated at the political level. The Russian government and president support it”.
“Our key task is to ensure high practical returns on the use of union budget money. I am referring above all to the implementation of joint programmes. I think that we should place more emphasis on projects involving innovation. <…> In the final analysis, the joint work of research, engineering centres and industrial enterprises will enable us to form a common scientific and technological space in the Union State, and that, as you know, is the key aim that we set ourselves in our joint work”.
"The construction industry is one of the most important to our economy, and to the economy of any developed nation. There are huge challenges before you – to build new industrial facilities, new roads, tunnels, bridges and other infrastructure. There are huge challenges in housing construction. In the near future we must double the number of housing built across the nation (up to 140 million square metres a year)".
"We should focus <…> on interactions between the state and business. I am talking about state guarantees. This instrument is all about the commitment of the government and of the country, and it is an important factor for attracting funds to major infrastructure, high-tech and export-oriented projects".
"We see positive dynamics in demography. At stake here is not only an increase in birth rate but also reduction of the mortality rate. I believe there has been a decline in the number of deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases, 4.5%; cancer, 1.1%; road accidents, 5.7%; and tuberculosis, 6.3%. Overall, the dynamics are positive".
"Both the charter and the composition of the supervisory council of the Strategic Initiatives Agency have been approved <…>. The supervisory council includes representatives of the business community and public organisations, as well as heads of regions with experience of supporting entrepreneurship and the modernisation of the social sphere; they've been selected and appointed. I would like to call on everyone <…> to support the Strategic Initiatives Agency in every way".
"In my mind, what matters most is the realisation of our roots, the awareness of our identity. When we have this awareness, it is easier to get our bearings today and acquire a vision for the future. That really matters".
"I want to reiterate that this work and its finds show how deep our nation’s cultural roots reach. Look, Greeks lived here. Khazars came next. Adygs and Circassians appeared later on the borders of this land, and then it was conquered by Turkey. Then Russia incorporated it. But peoples did not just come and go – each left traces of its culture, and a culture’s soul is realised in the artefacts you find. It is always present in traditions. <…> Your work opens our eyes to the deep sources of our present-day culture".
"I haven’t the slightest doubt that we will regain the pre-crisis level by the end of this year or the middle of next year, and come close to a balanced budget. The Finance Ministry forecasts a budget deficit for another several years, proceeding from objective factors. However, I have every reason to think that we will put an end to it sooner and increase funding. This is a passing problem".
"Finland is not only our good neighbour and friend but also a major trade and economic partner. Last year our trade grew by 28%, and by another 24% in the first five months of this year. We must do everything we can in order to maintain this pace. We see nervousness and turbulence in the international markets, but there is a lot we can do to ensure that our bilateral ties develop rhythmically and as planned, and to make sure that everything is on the rise".
“It should cater for the labour market – local, regional or possibly national, but mainly to the local and regional ones. This requires teamwork from the business community, industry and education. Our top corporations and successful companies, including medium-sized ones, should be in close contact with universities and secondary schools to arrange students’ practical experience and to implement financial support programmes for students. That is the way to interest businesses in employing these students after graduation.”
“We must show respect to people of a different culture, different faith or different ethnic background. On the other hand – I have said this on many occasions, but I can repeat it – people who move to a different region within Russia must be respectful of the local culture and customs, the local language and the people with whom they chose to live side by side. <…> Russia’s diversity gives it strength. It is a source of our grandeur.”
“We are implementing new services with the help of Sberbank. These new services can be applied to the pension sphere, too. <…> Accounting must not only be reliable but also technically up to date. I have already said that we are implementing the e-government, where we envisage the use of cutting-edge accounting and information applications in every field, pensions are no exception.”
“A young person’s role in politics should not be limited to the Popular Front. This is just a tool to set things in motion, to encourage fresh talent to get involved. The ultimate goal is to find creative ways to respond to the modern challenges facing the nation. <…>I’d be happy to see more and more young people devote themselves, like you, to social and IT activity.”
“I advocate the advancement of modern technology and its use as a tool for development, not as a weapon in criminal hands. This should be a development vehicle. And I’m really glad our younger generation uses modern communication technology and that many older people embrace it, too.”
“The implementation of each of your projects is a small but substantial input in making Russia a stronger and healthier country. This is exactly the medicine that our country needs most. The most important thing is the consolidation of people with different political views and ideas about the future. Their consolidation based on love for their homeland is the most important thing now.”
“We are now restoring the system of training world-class athletes that must defend our colours at international competitions – and from there, it trickles down. Every level should have its own area of responsibility. <…>We will encourage your municipal colleagues to create the conditions necessary for effectively addressing your challenges. In the end, the success of our national teams depends on your effective work.”
“Most of Russia’s regions are successfully implementing the programme to protect and support young people leaving orphanages. A lot is being done to help them integrate into their communities, get vocational training, and find decent jobs. Our duty is, of course, to provide orphaned and abandoned children with quality housing and protect them from all sorts of abuses to which they might otherwise fall victim.”
“What should we do to implement our huge tourist potential? First of all, we should invest in modern engineering and transport infrastructure. Second, we should create conditions to attract private businesses to the hospitality industry, reducing the costs of hotel and shopping construction and the arrangement of catering and other services. The federal programme for the advancement of tourism aims to do just that.”
“We expect that by the year 2018, our tourist inflow will grow more than sixfold to 23 million people, up from 3.6 million in 2010. The number of people who spend their vacations in Russia is expected to increase 1.5-fold to 45 million, up from 29 million. Consequently, the market of paid tourist services will increase 4.7-fold, from 88 billion to 417 billion roubles.”
“Furthermore, we are to confirm the federal targeted programme “On the Advancement of Domestic and Foreign Tourism in Russia in 2011-2018”. <…> Only 30% of this country’s tourist potential is currently being used. As we all know, Russia has ample resources for recreational tourism in almost all of its regions. We rank 4th in terms of global natural wealth, which may well be an understatement, given the country’s unmatched vastness and diversity.”
“The activity of the agency should be striking and multifaceted, it should change existing stereotypes and overcome the barriers of which there are, unfortunately, still so many.”
“The Agency should operate throughout the country. In my view, it’s extremely important to enable young, talented individuals to promote their ideas and implement their projects on the ground.”
“Domestic production is a distinct priority in the supply of weapons to the Russian armed forces. At the same time, this equipment must be cutting edge, advanced and affordable. I would like to stress that it must be affordable for the customer and for the Ministry of Defence, which means it must be affordable for the government.”
“In 2011, an unprecedented amount of funding was allocated towards the purchase and modernisation of equipment, arms, research and development in defence. In modern Russia, we have never set aside this kind of money before: 750 billion roubles in one year! <…>The government expects that this huge sum will be used efficiently in order to improve the performance of the organisations involved in the defence industry and state procurement.”
“Electricity, water and gas networks, as well as roads and other communications must be built quickly enough for low-rise development. The construction of housing should proceed almost concurrently, but it would be even better if social facilities were built ahead of housing. I am referring above all to outpatient clinics, childcare centres, shops and schools, in short everything that should be a part of a comprehensive environment in low-rise developments.”
“I believe we should introduce compulsory pre-adoption training courses for potential adoptive parents. <…>Such measures will decrease the risk of maltreatment of adopted children in their new households, helping to protect their lawful rights and interests. At the same time, we should make sure that new requirements don’t become an obstacle in the path to adoption. We must not create any additional material problems for potential adoptive parents. I think regional authorities should commit themselves to covering adoption expenses for Russian families.”
“Starting in 2013, most federal allocations will be distributed among specific targeted programmes. Budgetary funds will be channelled into government programmes in sectors crucial to our national development. I want to stress that we do not have in mind a formal redistribution of funds. The idea is to rethink the principles guiding government agencies’ work in order for them to perform their duties more responsibly, as well as to ensure that monetary allocations, along with regulatory mechanisms, taxes and customs duties, produce the desired results.”
“According to preliminary estimates of the Bank of Russia, the Russian economy has received over $27 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) in the first six months of 2011. <…>Our main task now is to maintain this positive trend, while focusing on the quality of long-term investment to ensure that it is accompanied by new technology and innovations and the creation of modern enterprises and well paid high-tech jobs. I am confident that we are capable of reaching $60-$70 billion a year in foreign direct investment – I repeat, $60 to $70 billion a year – and achieving a positive balance between capital inflow and outflow in general.”
“Our country has another distinctive feature, as compared to other countries, where many peoples and nationalities reside. Our country was originally formed as a multiethnic state. <…> In today's world, there are things that have become shaky and have started to burst at seams. But we simply cannot allow anything like this to happen on our soil. If we let this happen, it will be disastrous for the future of Russia.”
“We should treat migrants like full-fledged citizens of Russia regardless of where they live. They should be protected by law and public morality, which is equally or even more important. We should teach our citizens to treat each other respectfully, and if someone moves outside the territory of ethnic residence, he or she should also respect the language, traditions and culture of the people among whom they are going to live.”
“The Popular Front, was established for the exact purpose of uniting people of different faiths and ethnicities so as to be able to identify the problems that are facing us and come up with the best ways to address them in an open and honest discussion. The name itself – the Russian Popular Front – emphasises the idea that every man or woman of any religious or ethnic background should realise that he or she is part of a single multi-ethnic Russian nation, is a citizen of Russia, and should be proud of it.”
“We are introducing the most up-to-date environmental standards. Quite possibly, such standards are even more stringent than those in other countries. By no means can Russia be considered a leader in terms of emissions. <…>Russia does not damage the global environment to the same extent as other countries. At the same time, we understand our responsibility, but we will never place the national economy in a worse situation compared to other states. When we had signed and ratified the Kyoto protocol, Russia had assumed sufficiently tough obligations with regard to emissions. We are observing all of these commitments. We must promptly modernise production to reduce the burden on our ecosystem.”
“I’d like to see the agency become not a short-lived or opportunistic structure, but rather an effective instrument for broadening your opportunities, for those who want to promote their ideas, who are willing and eager to carry out and accomplish what they consider important for themselves, their business and the country in general.”
“High moral standards, which must be continuously introduced and maintained in society, are indispensable for the effectiveness of all our efforts. People will only work hard if they know that the state is constantly thinking of them, taking care of them and will never abandon them.”
“As the overall economic situation stabilised and post-crisis growth began, it started to pay greater attention to long-term goals rather than emergency support measures for specific sectors and enterprises. First and foremost, I have in mind projects for modernisation and re-equipment and, naturally, for promoting small and medium-sized businesses.”
“I am confident that the plan of events to celebrate Stolypin’s birthday anniversary should cover as many aspects of his professional, social and political activities as possible, so that society will learn more about them. This primarily concerns young people, who certainly need positive examples of personal service to the country and the nation.”
“We will mark the memorable date of Stolypin’s 150th birthday anniversary in 2012. We must do it in a befitting manner, showing respect for our history and ensuring that the celebration evokes a positive public response.”
