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.”
“On April 1 we indexed pensions by 6.3%, as we promised, and we must provide funds for this decision. Preliminary estimates indicate this will cost about 129 billion roubles. Another 13 billion roubles will be channelled to finance federal and regional increments to pensions. In addition, we are planning to allocate 92 billion roubles to provide housing for the veterans of the Great Patriotic War who registered after March 1, 2005, as well as for citizens previously dismissed from military service and sent to register on the municipal housing waiting list, which is famously slow.”
“We value your opinion of the effectiveness of the policies to support employment, including regional programmes to reduce the strain on the labour market. And I must say that last year we managed to defuse the situation in the labour market thanks to the implementation of these programmes and the insistent but reasonable policies of the trade unions. Once again, I would like to express my hope that we will continue to work together well into the future.”
“It’ll take time to overcome the negative effects of the global recession fully, rebuild the economy and reverse the budget deficit. This is why we cannot expect a sharp increase in budget revenues in coming years, which we could have spent on items other than servicing our debt. The budget will continue to run a deficit for the next few years, which is why we must adopt a highly responsible approach for each expenditure item, concentrating resources on high-priority budget items and trying to stay on schedule to reduce the budget deficit to 3% in 2012. The same strict discipline is also absolutely necessary for regional budgets in order to avoid discrepancies and ensure the stability of the entire budget system.”
“We are now experiencing the lowest inflation in 20 years: 3.8% for the first four months of the year. It's clear that this is very important and beneficial for encouraging investment and increasing lending, especially long-term lending. More importantly, low inflation allows us not only to maintain people's real incomes, but steadily increase them. Today we see an upward trend in key economic indices. Russia's GDP is expected to grow by 3.5%-4% in 2010, according to the forecast of the Ministry of Economic Development. There are even more optimistic scenarios, but we will proceed from that conservative estimate. Russian industry performed extremely well in April, posting double-digit growth, 10.4%, for the first time.”
“As you know, a large medical centre is being constructed in Moscow for children with oncologic diseases, primarily hematologic diseases. This centre will be the largest in Europe, without exaggeration. It'll accommodate between 250 and 300 patients, servicing another 300 patients at its ambulatory clinic. Also, there'll be a research lab and a hotel for the families of young patients. They will be able to come and stay there for the duration of the treatment. This option is very important for such patients. They need their family there. The government is doing this on its own. It'll cost the budget 11 billion roubles. Construction will be finished by next June. The centre will have the latest high-tech equipment. I hope it'll be able to receive its first patients at the end of next year.”
“We, both Russia and Kazakhstan, are at a rather advanced stage of preparations for WTO membership. There are still some matters to settle, but it will certainly be easier to do this bilaterally on the Customs Union's behalf than in the tripartite arrangement, because the more participants there are, the more problems there are, as every country defends its own economic interests and the number of contentious issues grows. This is evident. Certainly, it will be easier to join the WTO in the bilateral format. However, I want to point out that this is not a reason or pretext for not developing tripartite cooperation with Belarus included. We will do this.”
“Innovation products account for a mere 5% of Russia's economy, and less than 10% of Russian companies introduce technological innovations. There are many reasons for that. In the past we had practically no economic incentives to introduce innovations. There was no healthy competitive environment in place, which would prod companies to renewal. The national innovation infrastructure is meagre. The shortage of long-term financing available was also a discouraging factor. The number of innovation companies should certainly grow. Even a small result which would help strengthen Russia's foothold in markets for innovation products and services would justify the effort.”
“We now have enough effective mechanisms facilitating compliance with the law and coordinated work at all levels of state administration. We have prosecutors' offices and financial control mechanisms. A system for assessing the effectiveness of state power bodies and of local governments is in operation. As a last resort, the president of Russia has the right to voice his distrust in a regional leader. At the same time, I would like to stress that federal control is not and cannot be comprehensive. Regional administrations should assume responsibility before citizens. The people assess the performance of government bodies through elections of legislatures and through partisan preferences. I believe that this feedback mechanism is no less effective than any control from above.”
“In 2009, we allowed the regions to introduce tax breaks for small businesses and drastically increased the range of companies that can use the simplified taxation system. We have also allowed many self-employed businesspeople to forgo the use of cash registers. This year there are plans to expand the use of the tax patent system and to allow small businesses to purchase the state and municipal property they are leasing…. Small and medium businesses also receive additional direct budgetary support each year. Ten billion roubles have already been allocated for this purpose in 2010. We also plan to add another six billion roubles from the Anti-Crisis Fund. I am confident that these measures are already yielding tangible results.”
“In the last few years, Russia and the EU proved that they can cooperate fruitfully in various spheres. We have greatly strengthened mutual trade and are implementing major infrastructure and energy projects together. Mr Vanhanen has just mentioned one of such infrastructure projects in railway transport. We are also working on humanitarian and environmental initiatives. Our interdependence is becoming increasingly evident. We need to work hand in glove, and people in Russia and the EU are coming to see that we all benefit from greater cooperation. We understand that it is making us stronger”.
“Two Finnish politicians are known for building good-neighbourly relations between the Soviet Union and Finland: Presidents Juho Kusti Paasikivi and Urho Kaleva Kekkonen. Of course they lived in a different era. It was a totally different world. And different people can look at the past differently. But the policy of strengthening neighbourly relations between our countries proved fruitful at that time and continues to bear fruit today. It is thanks to this policy that the lease agreement was signed, first for almost 40 years, and now for another 50 today. This is an obvious benefit. These negotiations lasted several years, and today they concluded in the signing of the agreement. These were tough negotiations. Each side brought up a lot of issues that needed to be addressed. But even the most difficult issues can be resolved if there is goodwill, and Russia and Finland do have goodwill”.
“An analysis of the current trends shows that, along with high-precision weapons, aviation, anti-aircraft defence and reconnaissance systems, the world's leading countries are focusing on increasing the capabilities of each individual soldier. Forward-looking combat systems are being developed for infantry. Personal armour is being made more reliable, while small arms ammunition, sights, and detection and reconnaissance systems are becoming more sophisticated. All of this is crucial, especially in special operations, including counterterrorism. I would like to emphasise that our defence industry is currently capable of developing and manufacturing a full range of small arms and close combat weapons”.
“We will continue working on the budget today and we will review the scenario plans for economic development for 2011-2013. I'd like to emphasise the particular basis of this document. It is designed for a post-crisis period when we must not only fully overcome the consequences of the past year's recession, but also achieve steady development. Needless to say, as we agreed, the budget should be based on conservative predictions, which will be carried out in any event. However, I believe that the scenario plans should reflect the government's efforts to modernise the economy and formulate a clear understanding of the prospects and factors of future growth”.
“We know how much criticism the CIS receives, but I assure you, we would not have settled many economic and social problems if not for the Commonwealth. We don't even see that these problems have been settled. We take if for granted. The situation would be much worse without the CIS. Even Georgia retained 75 agreements after it announced that it was withdrawing from the CIS, because they were vitally important to the country. We see Georgia's point. More than that, we welcome it. So, I believe that the CIS is a necessary venue for coordinating economic, political and cultural issues, and will continue to be relevant”.
“Like in other countries, capital investment in Russia decreased in 2009. Investment shrank by more than 16%. This year we intend to reverse this situation, to buck this trend, and we have decided to act in several areas in order to accomplish this. We plan to improve the investment climate and abolish excessive bureaucratic restrictions, in particular by reviewing the regulatory framework governing foreign investment in strategic sectors of the Russian economy. We have continued to undertake major public investment programmes, including in housing and transport construction”.
“In December 2011 we will mark the 20th anniversary of the CIS. We have come a long way since then, and managed to build a unique system for cooperation in many respects. It works in the interests of our nations' citizens, specific companies and businesses engaged in cooperative relations. And, of course, our dialogue allows us to resolve any problems that might arise in the spirit of openness and mutual trust, and to ensure stability in this vast region. Based on our experience, we should move forward and implement the plans formulated in the CIS Development Concept and the Economic Cooperation Strategy for the Period until 2020. Our success depends on us coordinating the efforts of all partners, their business attitude, and, of course, on their goodwill. I am convinced that we all share this approach”.
“...We are satisfied with the efficient, cooperative work that has been done to establish the Customs Union. The Customs Union is obviously outgrowing the purely economic format and is becoming a new geopolitical reality. One might say that the emerging common economic space is a key aspect of the integration processes in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Eurasian Economic Community. These developments are extremely beneficial for all participants because they create favourable conditions for rapid economic growth. As we see it, the Customs Union has gotten off to a good start. All of its central mechanisms are functioning normally. But, due to purely objective reasons, it is difficult to implement such an ambitious and complicated project on a tight schedule. Notably, we manage to find solutions and reach mutually acceptable agreements even in the most complicated situations”.
“Approving the first single-industry city support projects is another major item on our agenda. This is our priority not only for 2010, but also going forward, because both current problems and matters pertaining to the overhaul of the national economy are closely intertwined on this issue. We are planning to allocate 27 billion roubles from the federal budget for the development of single-industry cities in 2010. These funds are aimed at implementing infrastructure projects that will attract business and help create new, modern production lines, at supporting small and medium-sized businesses and at improving conditions in problematic cities. In addition, the regional authorities, municipalities, management teams of major enterprises and interested investors must all implement their own measures in singe-industry cities. As we have agreed, support will primarily be rendered to those single-industry cities that have submitted adequate and realistic programmes”.
“Tax policy is one of the most important instruments we have for reaching long-term goals. Today we must finalise our plans in this area for the next year, that is, endorse a tax package designed to encourage innovation in the real economy. It compensates for the rise in tariffs on mandatory social insurance for high-tech companies. As we agreed, during the transitional period we will retain the 14% rate for residents in technology development special economic zones, software manufacturers, and innovation and research companies at higher educational institutions. Reduced rates will also be in place for the media until 2015. It also envisages changes in the rules regarding depreciation, specifies procedures for the calculation of R&D expenditures, a reduction in the number of documents required to prove eligibility for the zero VAT rate on exports and the three year-long exemption of new energy efficient equipment from corporate property tax, and so on”.
“Progress has also been slow on updating the regulatory framework for electronic bidding and applying it to road construction. Finally, we effectively lack a mechanism that would ensure the stability and predictability of funding for road construction, while it is clear that the successful implementation of expensive and capital-intensive projects is impossible if the amount of funds allocated for the project can change at any moment. So, we need to more clearly define government and private sources of financing for infrastructure. This applies to both large, strategic construction projects and our ongoing maintenance commitments”.
“…the Russian Academy of Sciences and national science as a whole cannot shy away from the modernisation agenda. The academy has always been and must remain a key institution of national and social development - both as a generator of new fundamental knowledge turned toward the future and as an instrument for selecting and promoting Russia's intellectual elite. And, finally, the reliable, long-term prediction of scientific and technological priorities is only possible with the involvement of the research community. Certainly, a primitive and utilitarian understanding of science's role is unacceptable. Fundamental research is not a commercial project based on investment volumes or profit-making. At the same time, the field of science in the modern world is based on a principle of encouraging tough competition and is characterised by a serious struggle for superiority. Leading states invest heavily in R&D projects in order to remain predominant in science. This concerns not only technology but also the humanities, politics and ideology”.
“We are also now reviewing the enforcement of the new law on protecting competition. Proposals for improving the law are being drafted. Let me emphasise that we see a direct link between an increase in business activity on the one hand and recovery and subsequent stable development on the other. In order for the market to develop, new companies must enter it. And here government policy and the position of major, established businesses are equally important. Of course, it would be naïve to ask you to help create new competition for yourself, but at the same time, you can do much to form a circle of independent suppliers of goods and services around your companies and cut costs thanks to efficient ordering.. You know this practice- it is found throughout the world. The emergence of a full-fledged domestic market and the spread of modern technology and a corporate culture are beneficial to everyone on the whole. And here big business must serve as a kind of engine driving the process”.
“Today, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that we were forced to reallocate resources in an effort to overcome the consequences of the global financial and economic crisis. A proportion of those resources that could have been put towards modernisation, was instead spent on anti-crisis objectives. Today, we are working amid considerably changed, to put it bluntly, tougher external and domestic conditions. The events of the last few weeks have shown that it is still too early, too premature to say that the global crisis has ended completely. Today Eurozone states are being forced to implement unprecedented measures in order to stabilise their financial systems, while the people have to pay for their previous macroeconomic miscalculations. In effect, a simple truth has been confirmed: in the long-term perspective only a responsible macroeconomic policy can facilitate steadily rising and improving standards of living among the population. I am deeply convinced that we must ensure macroeconomic stability”.
“We have drastically reduced the number of inspections of small and medium-sized companies. When we were working on this decision, the employees of the economy ministry gathered a vast amount of objective data on the administrative pressure on businesses from oversight authorities. They have figures proving how harmful excessive regulation and oversight are.”
“We should proceed from the fact that a low or even zero budget deficit is normal for Russia. Only such policy can make one feel confident amid fluctuating prices for our export products. We should not cut back on budgetary spending and forego unsecured debentures. We must unfailingly honour our commitments before Russia's citizens whatever the circumstances. Consequently, we have to stick to our timeframe and reduce the budget deficit to 3% in 2012 and then down to zero in 2015”.
“I would like to emphasise once more that establishing a customs union and, subsequently, a common economic space for Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan is a conscious and principled decision. We will strive for a reasoned integration that is as close as possible. This will include not only a unified customs territory, but common capital and labour markets, a unified transport system and much, much more. I am convinced that the establishment of a common economic space will spur economic development in Russia in a significant way. It offers additional opportunities for both individuals and businesses. They will essentially be able to freely choose where it is most convenient for them work, to carry out their plans and projects, and this means that the government must make a more concerted effort to improve the investment climate. And I'm sure that such competition will be to our advantage”.
“First of all, I would like to offer my sincere condolences to the victims' families. We must make every effort to support the families struck by the tragedy. Let me emphasize that this task is for both the federal and regional authorities, and an absolute responsibility of the mine owners: they should certainly realise that it is their responsibility. We must also support those injured in the blasts, who are currently being treated at hospitals here and in Moscow. We must spare no effort to ensure that they are nursed back to health. There is a government decision in place to allocate one million roubles from the Reserve Fund to each victim's family and 200,000 to 400,000 roubles to each of the injured miners. Medical and psychological assistance to the injured and the families of those killed has been taken care of. The most severely injured miners have been taken to the best hospitals in Moscow for treatment and rehabilitation. I would like to hear from you today what specific efforts will be made by the Kemerovo Region government, and what the Raspadskaya owners will do. Please keep in mind that the support efforts should be targeted and not be limited to one-off payments.”
“Our countries were allies in World War II and contributed considerably to the defeat of Nazism and Japanese militarism. Today, we are united in a colossal number of joint efforts - we have harmonised our positions in the international arena and are working very effectively in terms of our economies. Quite recently, we kicked off events associated with the Year of Chinese Language in Russia. I know how much effort the Chinese leadership and you personally have invested into the Year of Russian language in China and, indeed, it was a very successful year! I'm sure that the Year of Chinese Language in Russia - which is essentially another year of Chinese culture in Russia - will also be successful.”
“The new obelisk on Poklonnaya Hill will be built with voluntary donations, and will become a tribute to the soldiers of the Great Patriotic War. We will always remember the great history our peoples went through together, and all stages of this history, no matter how complex they may be. Representatives of the Georgia public are here today at this ceremony. For us his is very important. It is important that we are together today, that our countries still have cultural, humanitarian and spiritual ties and that our peoples have good human relations, despite the vain attempts to make us quarrel with each other and forget the centuries-long history of honest and sincere friendship and fellowship. I believe that Russian-Georgian relations will begin a new chapter. We are ready to begin a conversation with all constructive political forces in Georgia that are willing to partner with Russia. And we will without a doubt rebuild this partnership.”
“I'd like to speak about the housing issue. This has been the main issue in this country for many, many years. As you know, we promised to resolve this problem for those veterans of the Great Patriotic War who registered before March 1, 2005. We have reached this goal. The Krasnodar Territory was the last region to report that it had carried out this objective. We received their report on May 1 of this year. I assume that there are still some problems, but let me repeat that all regions have officially reported on this issue. Of course, we will verify this, but it seems as if the problem has been resolved - 28,500 veterans have received flats.”
“It goes without saying that our society and the state should do everything in their power so that veterans can enjoy honour and respect and lead a dignified life. In this context, I'd like to say that it is our duty to make sure you always feel the moral support of society and the state. I'm deeply convinced that this is necessary, not just for our veterans, but primarily for our society as such, because all citizens of our country should understand and see with their own eyes that our state will never ignore those who work honestly, and, if need be, fight selflessly for the protection of their Fatherland, even placing the greatest sacrifice of all on the altar of common victory - their lives. And, I repeat, this is a powerful lesson for future Russian generations.”
“The World Student Games gain special significance on the eve of the 2014 Winter Olympics. Kazan will be a kind of testing ground for Sochi. Here we will perfect the system for coordinating various agencies and test the effectiveness of the mechanisms we have developed. And of course, we should make use of the experience we gain in Kazan in building sport facilities and infrastructure and resolving land issues. I want to stress that the administrative agencies of the two projects - for the Sochi Olympics and the Kazan Games - cooperate closely and share the experience they have gained. This makes us confident that the Kazan Games will serve as a worthy prelude to the Sochi athletic festival in 2014. I never doubt that good preparation for these ambitious events will help support the Russian bid to host the World Cup in 2018 or 2022.”
“Russia and Ukraine are already cooperating and interacting productively in the nuclear energy sector. There are many companies in each of our countries that are closely linked to one another. We want to broaden this cooperation: building new units at the Khmelnitsky Nuclear Power Plant and securing Ukrainian partners for work on a large-scale development programme for the Russian nuclear power industry. In addition, we are ready to enter other countries' markets together. Undoubtedly, and I want to point this out, Russia has recently formed a solid set of foreign orders for the construction of energy facilities. Our banks have considerable resources to finance such projects, and we would like Ukrainian companies to participate in their implementation.”
“To create a favourable investment climate for this project, we exempted the developers of the Caspian fields from the mineral extraction tax. Companies have also raised the issue of reducing import duties. We'll think about it. I've already issued corresponding directives to government agencies, including the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Energy. We must calculate the costs and benefits of these projects. But I'm not ruling this out. Either way, we'll support projects of this kind. As far as support instruments and mechanisms, we need to consult with you and decide together.”
“We are now implementing National Borders Federal Targeted Programme. The programme began in 2003 and must be completed next year - it is in force until 2011. Work along the North Caucasian section of the border has been fully completed: seventy-two modern border checkpoints have been built there. In effect, infrastructure along this section of the border has essentially been rebuilt. Needless to say, this has helped us enhance security in the region and eliminate many channels for supporting terrorists. Coast Guard systems have been reinforced, mostly in the Pacific, where the need to protect our economic and biological resources is most pressing. The Coast Guard received 46 ships and other vessels in 2009 alone. In general, we are improving the system for protecting the national borders, while focusing on addressing real threats instead of creating obstacles for regular economic activity.”
“We do have such plans (holding WTO), but we haven't joined the WTO yet. We are currently negotiating. As you know, these issues are very complicated. Just look at Ukraine's accession terms, at the losses Ukraine's economy has sustained by abolishing certain customs duties, for example. Just look at the aircraft industry. We cannot do this because we cherish our aircraft sector. This is a complicated negotiating process for us.”
“As for the nuclear power industry, Ukraine is a distinguished country in Europe: it comes second or third in Europe after France and, if I am not mistake, Belgium. Half of the electricity produced in Ukraine is from nuclear power plants. It is important that these plants, these blocks and units be modernised. You could modernise them more effectively, if you cooperate with Russian companies. We are interested in more than just cooperation, we are also willing to take an active part, along with our Ukrainian partners, in the modernisation of Ukraine's generating units and to allow our Ukrainian partners to take advantage of the Russian market. We have plans to double nuclear energy production capacity in Russia in the next 10 to 15 years.”
“In fact, they have received two billion Euros worth of contracts through just one project, which involves the construction of the pipeline along the bottom of the Baltic Sea. And that is not all. If we carry out other major infrastructure projects like the South Stream, and this is very likely since we have no reason to doubt that we will complete this ambitious project, then there will be additional contracts. If Sollers and Fiat implement their programmes, Fiat plants will be busy for quite some time to come. The same applies to the chemical industry, where cooperation will lead to contracts for both Russian and Italian companies. We have a great interest in these sorts of projects, because they give us access to new knowledge and technology. This is cooperation in the broadest and most direct sense of the word.”
“Before building something you first need to sign a supply contract. Building a pipeline without any contracts is senseless and highly risky. No one in this business would do that. Please, name at least one contract that has been signed under the Nabucco project. We can sign such contracts for the South Stream but I do not see anybody who would be keen to do the same under Nabucco. However, this does not mean that the project is impossible to implement. Who knows, the situation in Europe may change, Europe could start consuming so much natural gas, that demand would grow so fast that European consumers would cling to any opportunity. Then it would make sense to consider alternative routes. I believe that this is still premature.”
“Cash incentives for local clinic personnel will continue in 2010-2012 as part of the Healthcare project; the programme will encompass about 315,000 medical personnel. Anti-infection programmes involving broader regular checkups and vaccination will be continued, annually covering 22 million people each. Government programmes to support treatment of cardiovascular disorders, cancer and tuberculosis will be continued, too. We will be improving medical care for victims of traffic accidents. As you know, we have already achieved positive results here, and we will certainly continue on this track.”
“We took preventive action to avert critical unemployment growth, to enable people to keep their jobs, to learn new professions or to open their own businesses. We also tried to help enterprises retain their most skilled personnel. Employment-facilitation programmes covered 2.8 million people. In February 2009, unemployment hit an all-time high of 7.1 million during the crisis, declining to 6.4 million in March 2010. Although this is still a lot, the overall trend seems positive. This means that, regardless of seasonal fluctuation, we managed to launch processes that restored the labour market and promoted the creation of jobs.”
“We decided not to cut the government spending on every budget item. We can often hear that there was a radical reduction, but we didn't make wholesale reductions of spending on every budget item. We chose a different solution, and I believe we did the right thing. As a matter of fact, we kept the budget at the planned level, redistributing budget spending to benefit the sectors that can ensure social and economic stability in the country. Moreover, budget spending grew significantly in 2009, if compared with 2008, the pre-crisis year. I was surprised to see these numbers myself yesterday. Budget spending grew 27.3%, whereas revenues dropped 20.9%. We used the reserves we accumulated to offset the deficit.”
“Starting in July 2009, the Russian economy has shown increasingly steady signs of recovery. According to official government forecasts, in 2010, GDP is slated to increase 3.1%. Nevertheless, there is a high probability that the growth rate will be higher. The preliminary results of the first quarter of 2010 inspire optimism. Growth in industrial production was 5.8% and real income increased 7.4%. All of this enables us to say that the recession is over in our economy. More importantly, we have very good starting conditions for further progress.”
“The crisis has not reduced business activity. On the contrary, the number of small- and medium-sized companies grew by 143,000, or 2.8% last year. In other words, people have not lost their can-do spirit. As before, they are ready to assume responsibility for their destinies. We must support them as much as we can. At the same time, it is still premature to speak about the full entrepreneurial freedom in this country. How can we talk about freedom if until recently we had 500 types of business activities that required a license, and 78% of goods sold in the country had to undergo mandatory certification? Now we have reduced the number of licensed activities to 74.”
“We tried to support the auto industry which was hardest hit in Russia and probably in the world. Overall, the government will purchase an additional 100 billion roubles worth of domestic vehicles in 2009 and 2010, including cars, trucks, buses and other vehicles for federal and municipal services. Moreover, when I talked to company executives, many said flatly that their companies would have long gone out of business without this programme. Production would have been halted and people fired.”
“It is heartening that over the recent years young people have been increasingly gravitating towards careers in medicine. These days, medical school graduates are more and more often choose to pursue a medical career. Today, highly skilled specialists versed in the latest diagnosis and treatment methods are in great demand in our country's healthcare system. High-tech equipment is being widely introduced in our medical institutions, and treatment methods and standards are being improved. We are building new hospitals with sophisticated equipment and new prenatal centres. We have been investing considerable funds in programmes for cardiovascular disease and cancer treatment, in the enhancement of assistance to road traffic accident victims. As you know, we have achieved good results.”
“We’re trying to protect the environment as well as to restore what's been lost as a result of human activities. I have already shown you what's been done to restore the population of Caucasian leopards, which were exterminated in the Caucasus in the 1950s. We've reached further agreements with our Iranian partners, and hope to bring in a few more animals from Iran to implement the project here, in the Caucasus. It's strange that leopards can be found on the coats-of-arms and other national symbols of the North-Caucasian republics but do not exist in the wild.”
“From 2006 to 2009 we spent almost half a trillion roubles - 453.3 billion - through the Healthcare national priority project alone. These funds were used to provide free medicines for veterans and disabled persons, as well as compensation to those who refused in-kind benefits in favour of monetary payments. We spend over 100 billion roubles to this end every year. In addition, 10,000 outpatient clinics received modern diagnostic equipment, which has shortened queues for specialist care. Finally, 70% of the ambulances in this country were modernised. That's 70% of our entire vehicle fleet! A few words about the need for high-tech medical services: not long ago, only one out of every ten patients had access to such services, but now that number is 60%. We have achieved some of our goals, but frankly we only managed to resolve our most acute, pressing problems.”
“We have always had special relations with the Kyrgyz people, and it goes without saying that we now must support our friends in Kyrgyzstan during this difficult time for them. In this context, I'd like to ask you to prepare relevant projects and government resolutions so that we can implement all of your proposals by the end of this week. I'd like you to remain in contact with the interim Kyrgyz government and promptly make decisions with your Kyrgyz colleagues to meet their needs. Let us assume that the situation will return to normal, while bearing in mind that it is very difficult and that, if necessary, we can provide further support.”
