Komsomolskaya Pravda: "Rural Areas Must Not Be Hurt by WTO Accession"
A meeting on livestock breeding in Tambov.
I don't know whether Prime Minister Vladimir Putin had lunch before his trip to Tambov. I didn't, but we were both stunned by the mouth-watering aromas at the food exhibit with its not-so-tasty but matter-of-fact title – Turning Agrarian Regions into Food Security Centres.
Oh, 30 brands of fresh sausage! Spicy fillet mignon, pickled cucumbers, marinated mushrooms and tomatoes in their own juice! Aubergine paste, wild strawberry preserves! All as if they deliberately opened a fresh food market in the lobby outside the meeting on livestock breeding.
"The total investment in livestock projects between 2006 and 2011 amounted to 576 billion roubles," Putin recalled. Having warned his audience that he was going to talk about unpleasant things, Putin said that in 1990, Russia produced 55.7 million tonnes of milk and in 2011, only 31.7 million tonnes.
"We have lost 24 million tonnes in twenty years!" he explained. The livestock audience (regional governors and directors of agrarian companies) looked downcast.
But the prime minister was not worried about these figures as such. He mentioned many of them in the context of Russia's forthcoming accession to the World Trade Organisation. Putin believes we will finally join next summer. This is why he outlined in detail the current tasks.
"The disputes over the expediency of this move (accession to the WTO – author) haven't gone away, especially when it comes to agriculture, and in this context I'd like to mention the following:" Putin said.
"1. We will join the WTO on optimal terms.
2. The state will support domestic agriculture. We have a reserve to increase direct support for commodity producers in the next few years.
3. WTO regulations do not restrict state subsidies for the development of transport or social infrastructure in rural areas.
APROPOS
What will one petrol rouble produce?
During his trip, Putin met with many people on the street. I had a chance to hear what he discussed with some of them. Here's one dialogue...
"We'd like to ask you what will happen with our courtyards. Will your programme on urban property improvement continue?"
Putin: "Yes, we will go on with this programme. I don't want to speak negatively about anyone but this is the responsibility of the municipal and regional authorities. Starting this year we planned a small increase in petrol tax –one rouble. It will give the regions an additional 90 billion roubles. We have allowed them to spend all of this money on small roads and courtyard grounds. I hope very much that this will not be a one time programme."
