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.”
"It is our duty now to formulate a comprehensive policy for controlling customs tariff regulation suited to our post-crisis objectives. First of all, we should make our manufacturers more competitive. They should find it profitable to borrow foreign cutting-edge technologies, purchase the latest equipment, and thus promote the modernisation of Russian industry. Russian high-tech exports need comprehensive support. Our customs tariff policy should not be an obstacle to competition on domestic markets, and thus generate monopolies. We will closely coordinate our action with our partners in the emergent Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan."
"As for export duties on unprocessed lumber, we take our producers' and their foreign partners' problems into account. So we have postponed the planned increase in export duties to a prohibitive 50 euros per 1 cubic metre. We will announce our final decision quite soon. As for next year, we will proceed from the current situation."
"The timber industry requires greater support in these hard times. We have done something for it already. In particular, we are subsidising interest rates on loans to businesses and lumber exporters. Allocations for purchasing new equipment are being made through Rosagroleasing. Many plants are on the Government list of essential companies, which entitles them to government guarantees."
"I deem it necessary for the Russian Government to explicitly define its position on the use of forest resources, the development of the timber processing industry, and the basic principles of cooperation with our foreign partners. Obviously, we cannot be content with just supplying raw timber and with the current state of the industry… We have chosen to modernise the industry, establish new high-tech plants, create new jobs and come to the international market with competitive finished products. We should also work more to conserve our natural resources."
"We have several issues to discuss with you. Brunei is one of the largest producers of liquefied natural gas, and Russia is also beginning to develop this commodity. We are also aware of your efforts to diversify the country's economy by developing high-tech industry and farming."
"I would like to say at the beginning of our meeting today that the Russian Government and the Central Bank of Russia maintained the stability of the country's banking system amid the global financial downturn and protected the national currency from dramatic fluctuations that can be so painful for people and for companies."
"I would like to remind you that a law affecting local government took effect on January 1. This law holds mayors personally responsible for providing quality services to people. <...> I believe that federal ministries must provide assistance to local governments on this issue, assume responsibility for coordinating our efforts and making them more methodical, and ensure close cooperation with education institutions that train personnel for municipal authorities. I would like to ask that we pay special attention to training local government employees in towns that rely on a single industry, where the effectiveness of municipal authorities' performance is especially critical, and where competent and well-educated people are needed to deal to apply fresh approaches to new challenges. We all understand that it is especially relevant today, during the crisis."
“We have decided to officially submit our application to host the 2018 World Cup. We wanted to inform you about this today. A week ago, on October 9, I signed an executive order making our application official.”
"The scope, essence and timeframe for administrative procedures must be clearly outlined, and the principles for setting prices for government services must be established. It is necessary to continue to foster administrative reform, abolish the state's unnecessary powers, minimise the number of inspections, and switch from the practice of giving authorisation to providing recommendations."
"If deputies from a party have not been represented in the Moscow City Duma for years, why do you think they should get seats there now? You should look at these processes objectively. On the other hand, I'd like to say again that in such situations much depends on inter-party dialogue, on the moral climate in the State Duma and an ability to talk with ones colleagues."
"It is important to make the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) more effective, and step up the formation of an efficient anti-drug mechanism within the SCO. The heads of the agencies concerned agreed on this at their meeting last May."
"As for cultural, we have encouraging prospects to expand joint educational projects and youth contact within the SCO. We have established a regular practice of Education Weeks and forums for university rectors. The SCO Youth Council has also been a success. The SCO University will probably open soon, too."
"We have already drafted an action plan. The joint actions are listed in today's Statement on fighting infectious diseases. We also propose discussing an arrangement to coordinate the actions of the member states' medical services in such emergencies."
"The developments in our region, especially in Afghanistan and around it, call for more energetic and coordinated actions from foreign ministries and security agencies. We know how much effort our Afghan counterparts are making and must support them as much as we can."
"We should make full use of the advantages and benefits of cooperation in the post-crisis period of development. The Joint Initiative of Global Economic Crisis Counteraction, which we are to adopt today, provides a good basis for this. This document will allow us to coordinate anti-crisis measures within the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation."
"Economic problems inevitably arise due to labour migration. In accordance with the agreements reached at our previous meeting in Astana, we have begun a discussion on a range of related issues. It is important that this discussion cover policies against illegal migration, and readmission, and the streamlining of procedures for legal guest workers to protect their rights and legal interests. We must protect them, but we will only be able to do so when the procedures are well-regulated."
"Coordinated efforts by customs services of the member-countries, depending on the competence and mutual understanding of their staffs, are also important. Coordinating the actions of member state customs services is also important and depends on staff competence and a level of mutual understanding. The protocol on cooperation in training and advanced training of customs officers, also to be signed today, will help significantly increase efficiency. In addition, we have discussed improvement of customs services' interaction at a bilateral meeting with our Chinese colleagues."
"As for bilateral talks with our Chinese partners and our work within the SCO, we primarily focus on economic interaction. Unless you consider our agreements with China to notify each other of ballistic missile launches, which I believe a signal event. It is an extremely important achievement that will strengthen trust between countries in a highly sensitive sphere of strategic weapons. It is an additional element of full-scale strategic relations, comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and China. And a crucial element at that."
"I'd like to remind you about something we consider an important result in our discussions, and that is the agreement reached with our Chinese partners regarding Rostom's involvement in the second stage of the construction at the Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant. I think this is one of the most important agreements reached during this visit."
"We have started implementing the agreements reached earlier on crude oil extraction. We will extract it on our territory and transport it. Remember, how few people believed that we could build the pipeline system under the difficulties faced in Siberia: without any transport, communications or energy infrastructure. In a very short period of time, we have built over 2,000 kilometres of pipeline. And it's more than just a big pipe, you don't just dig a trench and put it in the ground, it's a highly complex, state of the art system, and then in addition there's the accompanying infrastructure. We did it. And it was, of course, an absolute success."
"I am very glad that you and I are meeting individually within the context of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation forum. The relationship between the Russian Federation and Pakistan has been developing very well as of late. This concerns both our political contacts and our economic interaction. Nevertheless, as far as economic interaction is concerned, trade between our two countries is so far very insignificant. But we are putting into place mechanisms for cooperation. One of these is the intergovernmental commission, which we need to launch as soon as possible."
"Even during a crisis, Russia and China have demonstrated their capacity for closer economic partnership and ambitious projects. This is grounds for optimism. Most of all I mean our energy partnership. We have come to a consensus on the construction of an oil pipeline from Skovorodino to the Chinese border, and have signed a major credit agreement. The pipeline, which has required ambitious investments, will be ready quite soon."
"I am also confident that the Large-Scale Plan for Russian-Chinese Investment Cooperation will play a positive role. This is a very important step in our relationship, as is the Plan for Regional Development, which will involve the Far Eastern regions of Russia, the Siberian region of the Russian Federation, and northeast China. These plans will facilitate further economic growth both in Russia and China, and will help to create new jobs and factories."
"Contracts worth more than $3 billion have already been signed since the beginning of the forum today. This is especially important now that the global economy is going through hard times, fumbling for a way towards post-crisis development. Without a doubt, building confidence in the business community, new joint investment ventures, trade, and industrial cooperation are of great importance for economic revival."
"We know that China has a programme for developing its north-eastern provinces. In Russia we have a similar programme for the development of the trans-Baikal region, eastern Siberia and the Far East. It is clear that coordination of our efforts to develop these regions in China and Russia can produce a synergic effect, to use a fashionable term."
"We are in agreement that all the conditions are in place for further development of our political dialogue, as well as of our trade, economic and cultural ties. Everything is in place to continue our constructive efforts to resolve pressing issues for the international community, including those connected with overcoming the global financial and economic crisis. We can now confidently say that, on the whole, our trade and economic ties have weathered the crisis, and, despite the currently difficult situation in global markets, these ties have good potential for qualitative growth, including by means of major projects."
"I believe that cultural cooperation between our countries is very important. I think it is an absolute must for promoting our interaction in the economy and politics, and our military technical cooperation. The sphere of cultural relations is the base on which the main structure - mutual trust - can be built. It is the crucial prerequisite for promoting relations in all the above spheres."
"Cooperation between Russia and China is a vital element of global stability. We regard it as a vital element, and are developing our cooperation with China proceeding from this assumption, being aware of our mutual responsibility for international peace, security and sustainable development."
"The consolidated stand of China and Russia on different problems has restrained some of our less cautious colleagues. It has also facilitated the solution of some problems, in particular, in the sphere of global food security and economic development. Some problems, for example environmental ones, cannot be effectively resolved without a consolidated stand of such countries as Russia and China."
"Next year we will conduct the Year of the Chinese Language in Russia. Together with our Chinese friends, we are planning a large number of joint events at the same level, notably youth and student exchanges, meetings of professionals and fans of Chinese culture, as well as a competition of Chinese songs. In a word, we have very interesting and embracing plans."
"The 2012 APEC forum is also a good opportunity to concentrate our resources, solve the many problems of our largest metropolis in the Far East and make the city's residents' lives more comfortable. We can position Vladivostok as Russia's "gateway to the Pacific" and a promising venue for international cooperation."
"The fulfilment of all these plans will enable us to hold an important event - the 2012 APEC forum. This upcoming summit is a significant political and economic event for the entire Asia-Pacific region. Certainly, a successful event will enable Russia to enhance its international standing and will help in making additional contacts with our partners in the region."
"Disintegration is one of the reasons why the Russian pharmaceutical industry lags behind. We must consolidate. The industry needs integrated structures linking research and development with manufacture. These would of course make use of market instruments."
"It is taking Russian manufacturers too long to switch to GMP and other international standards, without which the Russian pharmaceutical industry will never become an equal competitor in the world."
"We should provide for the greatest possible number of medicines to be manufactured in Russia-in particular, through licensed production and generics."
"There is a third challenge-preventing the sale of counterfeit medicines and medicines that have already expired. These medicines threaten people's health and even lives, and our efforts to combat them should not subside."
"The tasks that the state and the pharmaceutical companies face are clear. First, the policy for the state to purchase medicines needs to be overhauled to introduce clear-cut, transparent market rules to eliminate the possibility of loopholes and abuses, which allow sidestepping the terms of a public auction. When public auctions are aboveboard, prices fall significantly."
"Russian-manufactured medicines purchased using government money must make up no less than a half of the total supply, in terms of value, within the next two or three years. We should shift to long-term contracts with Russian manufacturers to supply medicines to government, municipal and corporate hospitals and clinics, as well as to medical centres affiliated with the Academy of Medical Sciences."
"Guaranteed purchases of medicine is one of the principal financial approaches for implementing state strategy in this field. In particular, government and other centralised companies must make such purchases, whose amount is quite sufficient in our country, approaching 230 billion roubles a year. However, Russian manufacturers have no permanent, or at least long-term, access to the market-suffice to say that federal programmes account for fewer than 10% of the volume of all Russian-made medicines sold."
"Seasonal changes in production volumes and the balance of purchasing prices are important elements of the dairy market. This problem could be solved through regular purchasing and trade interventions. We plan to approve a Government resolution on this issue today. The state will buy surplus products to prevent a plunge of milk purchasing prices. On the other hand, the sale of previously purchased products will prevent unjustified hikes of retail prices."
"We attach great importance to your agreement with Kamaz. Our relationship with Fiat was established several decades ago. Your Dutch branch is a world leader in manufacturing farm machinery, and its products have proven their worth in Russia. I think this agreement to establish two joint ventures represents great progress."
"VEB is also reviewing its participation in the development of new shipbuilding facilities in the Russian Far East. I am referring to the project at the Zvezda plant. It is these companies, equipped with latest technology, that are being created from scratch that will be able to restore the position of Russian shipbuilding in the global market and meet the growing demands of Russian companies for tankers to transport oil and petroleum products, and LNG in the future."
"I propose taking a decision today <...> to establish an organising committee for the 2018 World Cup bid race. <...> But no matter what happens, we will continue to do what we have been doing recently, that is, building football fields and other sports facilities, and establishing sports clubs, above all for children and teenagers. We will promote football. Much has been done in this field, and so I think Russia has the right to bid for the honour to host the 2018 World Cup."
"It's common knowledge that Russia has always been a reading nation; we often mention this fact. Russia has even surpassed the Soviet Union in terms of the number of titles published. At the end of the 1980s, the number of book titles published stood at some 80,000, while it reached 123,000 in 2008."
"I would also like to highlight a decision that we made and that you are aware of. The Russian Government equalised Belarusian and Russian suppliers in state purchases. If a commodity offered by your producer is 15% more expensive than a similar product manufactured by an international company, the purchase decision will be in favor of the Belarusian business, as it would be with a Russian company."
"There is progress in Russian-Belarusian interaction on the main areas of cooperation, critical for commodity producers. Belarus continues to purchase energy at the lowest prices among the CIS countries and in the world in general, which is no exaggeration. This includes gas, which Belarus also receives at the lowest prices."
“We consider privatisation to be one of the key tools in reforming the real economy, in improving the competitive environment and in attracting additional investment.”
"We should prevent an increase in overdue debt for the resources supplied by the utilities. These debts currently exceed 158 billion roubles, including 10 billion roubles owned by government financed services and agencies."
"According to company reports, preparations are proceeding smoothly and on schedule. The heating season is in fact already on in many regions. Territorial energy systems and most housing and utilities companies have completed their preparations on time: they have finished the required repairs and formed the necessary backups. Power plant stocks of coal and fuel oil exceed the required levels by 37% and 29%, respectively."
