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Old March 24th, 2021 #201
Alex Him
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Trip to Siberian Federal District



Vladimir Putin spent the weekend in Siberia.



March 21, 2021 - 13:30 - Siberian Federal District






The President together with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu enjoyed walking in the taiga forest and riding an all-terrain vehicle.
























































Also, Sergei Shoigu showed the President his workshop.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65178






Greetings to 20th International Forum of Young Writers of Russia, CIS Countries and Abroad



Vladimir Putin sent greetings to the participants, organisers and guests of the 20th International Forum of Young Writers of Russia, CIS Countries and Abroad.



March 22, 2021 - 10:00



The message reads, in part:

“Over the past years, your forum has made a huge positive contribution to the preservation and development of the best traditions of our multinational culture, opened to the world a large group of bright and original talented people, and played a major role in their professional development.

It is notable that today the forum offers young writers an opportunity to hold serious and involved discussions on literary development and the importance of preserving our unique historical, cultural and spiritual heritage as well as promoting the Russian language. In addition, during workshops and roundtable discussions the forum participants can meet with prominent and famous authors whose work has already attracted readers’ interest.

I have no doubt that this 20th forum will be successful and will become a truly inspiring event for all forum participants.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65180






Telephone conversation with European Council President Charles Michel



Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the European Council Charles Michel.



March 22, 2021 - 15:30



Considering the upcoming discussion of Russia-EU relations at the meeting on March 25–26, Charles Michel touched on several issues related to the current state and prospects of the dialogue between Moscow and Brussels.

Vladimir Putin assessed the unsatisfactory state of Russian-EU ties that has resulted from nonconstructive and sometimes a confrontational course of the partners. Russia reaffirmed its readiness to restore a normal depoliticised format of interaction with the European Union if real interest from the other side is shown.

Issues related to countering the coronavirus pandemic, in particular, ways to use the Russian vaccine, Sputnik V, the political settlement process in Ukraine, developments in Belarus and several other topical matters were also discussed.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65182






Meeting on increasing vaccine manufacturing and vaccination progress



Vladimir Putin held a videoconference on increasing the manufacturing capacity of COVID-19 vaccines and the progress of vaccination in Russia.



March 22, 2021 - 16:55 - Novo-Ogaryovo, Moscow Region



The meeting included Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Anton Vaino, Deputy Prime Ministers Yury Borisov and Tatyana Golikova, Presidential Aide Maxim Oreshkin, Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov, Healthcare Minister Mikhail Murashko, Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov, Head of the Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare – Chief State Sanitary Physician Anna Popova, Head of the 48th Central Research Institute of the Defence Ministry Sergei Borisevich, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Kirill Dmitriev, Director of the Gamaleya Federal Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Healthcare Ministry Alexander Gintsburg, General Manager of the National Immunobiological Company (Nacimbio) of the Rostec State Corporation Andrei Zagorsky, Director General of the Chumakov Federal Scientific Centre for the Research and Development of Immune and Biological Products Aidar Ishmukhametov, General Director of the Vektor State Research Centre of Virology and Biotechnology Rinat Maksyutov, as well as the heads of companies Biocad, Binnopharm Group, Vector-BiAlgam, R-Pharm, Geropharm, Epivac, Generium, Pharmstandard and Nanolek.






President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon, colleagues.

Today we will talk about issues related to the production of domestic coronavirus vaccines and the progress of vaccination in Russia.

Our research institutions are creating, as you know, a series of coronavirus vaccines. Three have already been registered in Russia. Two of them – Sputnik V and EpiVacCorona – are produced in large quantities by our pharmaceutical companies and are being used for vaccination. Another one, CoviVac created at the Chumakov Federal Scientific Centre is being prepared for rollout, and the first batches have already been produced. Incidentally, Russia already has three vaccines, which is certainly the result of hard work by thousands of people.

Also, despite the pandemic-related challenges, the domestic pharmaceutical companies, in conjunction with research institutes, have managed to accomplish a multitude of objectives in order to deploy new vaccine production sites in a short amount of time. At many sites, work was carried out almost around the clock. They introduced and calibrated modern and highly efficient equipment and created advanced biotechnological production processes that were unparalleled in our country.

Representatives of the pharmaceutical companies that manufactured the vaccines are here today.

Colleagues, friends, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you and your staff and workers for your truly selfless work and your responsible attitude.

Your efforts, as well as the effective work of our research institutes and the entire healthcare system, have made it possible to stabilise the spread of the coronavirus infection and to protect the life and health of millions of our people.

The implementation of a wide range of preventive measures, including widespread vaccination, has played a significant role in normalising the epidemic situation.

Overall, 6.3 million Russians have taken the first part of the vaccine, of these 4.3 million have been vaccinated in full, that is, they have received both vaccine components.

Today, we can safely say, and the practical results indisputably corroborate, the fact that the Russian vaccines are absolutely safe and dependable. Moreover, no other foreign-made vaccine offers this high degree of protection. To reiterate, this is a great accomplishment for our researchers and specialists.

Our success is recognised abroad as well. The number of countries using the Sputnik V vaccine is expanding fast. Despite deliberate efforts to discredit our vaccine and all kinds of fabrications occasionally bordering on outlandish fantasy, more countries around the world are showing interest in our vaccine with 55 countries having authorised its use.

Contracts with foreign manufacturers – and I want to stress this so that everybody understands what I am talking about: these are foreign manufacturers who will be producing our vaccine on their territory – have been signed for the number of doses needed to vaccinate 700 million people per year. Just today, we signed a contract with an Indian company for doses to vaccinate 100 million people. It is the news of the day.

We are working with 55 countries that have a total population of 1.4 billion. Very shortly, we will expand the number of our partner countries and reach 2.5 billion people.

It should be noted that the government bodies in such countries as Mexico and Argentina analysed the use of our vaccine on their territories, in their countries, and concluded that there are no side effects. It is very important for us because that was an independent assessment.

What is surprising is that right before our meeting I was told that just now, one of the officials in charge from the European Commission declared that they do not need Sputnik V. This is a strange statement. We are not imposing anything on anybody. By the way, many in Europe do not even know that Russia has long applied for registration with the European Medicines Agency. As Ms Golikova reported to me in the morning, the application was filed on January 21, 2021. Only on March 4 did we receive a message that the application review had started.

Here is what I would like to say on the matter. As I just said, we are not imposing anything on anybody. But when we hear such statements from officials, the question arises: whose interests are these people protecting? Is it the interests of certain pharmaceutical companies or the interests of European citizens? What are they up to? Lobbying? And these people are trying to teach us something – and imposing sanctions.

But never mind. Again, it is their choice and they are free to do as they see fit to achieve their goals.

Our pharmaceutical companies must consider the dynamics of the global market and the demand for our vaccine, while expanding their production capacities. But let me emphasise that as before, our domestic needs, supplying Russian citizens with vaccines, must be an absolute priority.

Now our most important task is to continue building up the vaccine production rates in the country. To that end, we must send enough vaccines to the regions, ensure the operation of a broad network of vaccination sites and, of course, continue informing people about where, how and when they can get vaccinated. This entire process must be as accessible and convenient as possible for our people, especially older adults.

I would like to emphasise this once again – our ability to conduct effective vaccination and acquire what specialists, including our colleagues at this meeting, call herd immunity directly affects the speed of our efforts to overcome the pandemic and lift all restrictions. We must reach this goal at all costs and establish this herd immunity.

It is estimated that at least 60 percent of all adults in the country must be vaccinated for complete stabilisation. This will require 69.8 million sets of vaccine doses. We have all the resources for making them. It was reported to me this morning that as of March 17, 20.1 million sets had been produced. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin spoke about 20,102,000 sets. At any rate, there are more than 20 million Sputnik V doses. A total of 8.9 million full sets of Sputnik V and over 115,000 sets of EpiVacCorona are already in civilian circulation.

I hope our pharmaceutical companies will not only keep the current pace but will also continue building up production, will ensure reliable and regular vaccine supplies to the regions, and will make good use of the tangible export potential.

Let us discuss today how we plan to address these tasks.

In conclusion, I would like to emphasise that vaccination is certainly a free choice, the personal decision of every individual. By the way, I am going to get vaccinated tomorrow.

Let us start working.


<…>


Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov:

I would like to report successively about building up the production of each of the three anti-coronavirus vaccines.

I will start with Sputnik. At present, four companies are producing it at seven sites. I would like to make special mention of the Generium Group and Pharmstandard, which have produced the bulk of the supplied vaccine so far. You have already mentioned the general amount.

There is a daily timetable for presenting labelled vials for control through the Gamaleya Institute and Roszdravnadzor laboratories. This allows us to put new series into civilian circulation very quickly.

Under the plan, 12.5 million sets of the vaccine must be produced in March. The planned figure for April is 17 million. We plan to continue building up production so as to have over 80 million of two-component doses by the first six months.

(The minister went on to describe the new Gererium, Biocad and R-Pharm production sites.)

As you said, all these amounts will be primarily used to vaccinate Russian citizens. To meet the global demand for our vaccine, we are working on transferring technology abroad. We have agreements on this with manufacturers in 10 countries.

Now the EpiVacCorona vaccine. We are consistently reaching an industrial scale of production. Two industrial partners are involved in this: Geropharm in St Petersburg and Vector- BiAlgam in Novosibirsk. As of today, they have produced the first 365,000 double doses and must turn out 5.5 million vaccine sets by July.

Now the CoviVac vaccine from Chumakov Centre: the initial amounts of the vaccine will go into civilian circulation before the end of this month. The centre is capable of producing 775,000 doses in the first half of the year. It plans to expand its plant in April and will be able to produce at least 10 million vaccine doses before the end of the year. We are involving Nanolek in Kirov as an industrial partner to increase vaccine production.

Thus, Mr President, our industry is effectively delivering on the task that only four countries in the world are able to shoulder.

This is largely the result of the intensive development of the pharmaceutical industry that you initiated a decade ago by supporting the comprehensive plan for development. In addition to state investment, over 250 billion rubles of private capital were involved in building production lines and developing medications. A firm technological and research background was established. It made it possible to considerably increase the production of essential medications and start producing complicated preparations for the treatment of oncological, cardio-vascular, orphan and other socially significant diseases. In the last few years, the budget has saved over 240 billion rubles thanks to the consistent replacement of imports with more affordable Russian equivalents in public procurement alone.

The acquired competencies made it possible to produce last year over 30 medications recommended by the Health Ministry for treating and preventing the coronavirus. As was already reported, our companies then scaled up production of these vaccines by investing over 28 billion rubles of their own funds.


<…>





Healthcare Minister Mikhail Murashko:

Mr President,

In accordance with the task you have outlined for combating the pandemic, our priority was to make the coronavirus a manageable infection. With this aim in view, we have registered the world’s first novel coronavirus vaccine. Today, three vaccines are available.

I would also like to report that the first batches of the Sputnik V vaccine that can be kept at temperatures between +2 and +8 Celsius, that is, non-frozen which is more convenient logistically, have been delivered to our medical facilities. It is a big step to a more convenient use.

We have also completed the clinical trials of the Sputnik Light vaccine. The documents for its registration are ready.

Relevant organisations keep monitoring the virus’s mutations, including those in Russia. We are analysing the efficiency of medicines for preventing the disease caused by various strains. This work is ongoing continuously and involves several agencies.

Another task is to increase the speed of vaccination. By the end of March, our healthcare facilities will receive over 6.5 million dozes of Sputnik V. We expect that a total of some 30 million dozes will be delivered in April and May.

Our focus is, of course, on people aged over 60, because they are at a higher risk for severe illness. As of now, they account for 46 percent of those who have got the jab. We go directly to the social care facilities and make active use of mobile vaccination teams.

We have managed to synchronise several spheres to ensure the uninterrupted manufacturing of medication by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and have coordinated a management control system with Rostec so as to increase the capacity of vaccination stations almost threefold. As of now, there are 4,500 stationary vaccination stations across Russia, and we continue to increase this figure, as well as over 1,000 mobile stations.

We have established a remote consultation centre whose staff can advise medical personnel on vaccination issues.

We have created vaccine control and safety protocols, which include even minor events. For example, 20 percent of those who received the jab keep vaccination diaries. No other country in the world has such a ramified and serious system for monitoring the quality of medications. Every batch released for use undergoes double control, at the Gamaleya Institute and the producer of EpiVacCorona, as well as at state laboratories.

You have mentioned the European Medicines Agency. We have received a notification that a group of EMA experts will come to Russia on April 10 to establish communication and to monitor our clinical studies.

We are already receiving feedback on the effectiveness of our vaccine and its tolerance. For example, we have received detailed reviews from Argentina.

We have fulfilled your instructions on the development of a pharmaceutical cluster in Yaroslavl. Today we have opened a laboratory for quality control of medications, including immunobiological medicines. It is the largest facility with a floor space of over 8,000 square metres and the most cutting-edge equipment and personnel – chemists, physicists, biologists, virologists and veterinary experts – from all over the country.

Our labs have the prequalification of the World Health Organisation and the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines, plus US market accreditation, which means that these labs’ conclusions are accepted throughout the world.


<…>


Pharmstandard Chairman of the Board Viktor Kharitonin:

We started working with the Gamaleya Research Centre on Sputnik V in August 2020. Over a short period of time, we completed the transfer of laboratory technology, scaled and fine-tuned the manufacturing technology. The first batches of the vaccine that we produced arrived in Russian healthcare facilities in early November.

As of today, our three production sites have produced over 17 million full doses of the vaccine, including 6 million full doses produced over the three weeks of March, which is a record output. Also in March, we released the first 100,000 doses of Sputnik V that do not require freezing and can remain stable at a temperature between +2ºC to +8 ºC. We plan to increase the production volumes further.

I would like to point out that this entire output was secured by our own production capacities. Today we are making this call from our new production facility that will allow us to significantly increase the amount of vaccine produced as soon as in April and reach the production volume of 200 to 300 million doses per year.

It should be specifically pointed out that, thanks to our cooperation with the Russian Direct Investment Fund, we have started supplying the vaccine to foreign markets. We have already transferred the production technology to Kazakhstan and Belarus and continue working with other countries, including India and Italy. In Italy, Sputnik V was highly praised by both scientists and our colleagues from pharmaceutical companies.

I would like to stress that this entire effort would not have been possible without the unique team of scientists and technologists that we have built over the past decade. We hand-picked our experts from all over the world and over 20 percent of our scientists returned from the EU, the United States and Israel at our invitation and are now helping us develop a modern pharmaceutical industry in our country.

Today we can develop and organise production of biotechnology-derived drugs of any level of complexity. At the same time, our entire production is fully up to the international GMP standards, which has been confirmed by numerous inspections from all over the world. In April and May, we are expecting an inspection by the World Health Organisation. We hope we can pass it successfully.

For ten years, Generium has consistently re-invested the major part of its profit into its infrastructure, both production facilities and residential and recreational infrastructure for its workers and their families.

We also scaled up our research infrastructure. I would like to note that modern scientific projects may have a five- to seven-year cycle – sometimes up to ten years.

Thanks to the company team’s high professionalism and the world-class level of research and production infrastructure, Generium took only three months to move from laboratory development to mass production of the vaccine. So far, only four or five companies in the world, including Generium, have successfully tackled such a serious challenge within such a short period of time while maintaining the highest quality. This shows that we are capable of competing with international pharmaceutical giants that have much bigger resources and decades of history.


<…>





Chairman of the Board of the R-Pharm Group Alexei Repik:

I am delighted to be welcoming you from Yaroslavl, where at the R-Pharm factory we produce Coronavir for treating mild to moderate cases of coronavirus, Artlegia medication for the treatment of cytokine storm, as well as the Sputnik V vaccine.

It was here at our factory in Yaroslavl that we started working on the vaccine together with the Gamaleya Research Centre, covering the distance between a small laboratory test tube and industrial-scale reactors. As of this moment, we have developed an absolutely stable and reliable technology that complies with the strictest regulatory requirements.

Therefore, our current priority is to transfer our technology to the other platforms we have in Russia and abroad, including in Illertissen, Bavaria, which has attracted considerable interest from our European colleagues.

We have made these achievements above all thanks to our professional team. About a thousand new employees joined us last year, both experienced professionals and young graduates of our partner universities for whom we have created a special training programme.

Our efforts are currently focused on the creation and manufacturing of new forms of the vaccine that will be easier to use and also transport. Our factory is now producing the first registration batches of a promising lyophilic form of the vaccine created by our experts. It has proved stable at temperatures between +2 and +8 C. We are now studying its stability at room temperature. There are grounds to believe that we will succeed. Thanks to more convenient storage requirements, this form will allow us to make the vaccine available in hard-to-reach regions of the country, which is especially important ahead of the spring and summer period.

In addition to this, the lyophilic form will increase the attractiveness of Sputnik on foreign markets, including countries with a hot climate: the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.

We are ready to use the lyophilisation technology on an increasingly large scale at our new flagship factory in the Technopolis Moscow Special Economic Zone. This project is being implemented with active support from the Moscow City Government. We have reached an important strategic agreement on investment support from the RDIF, our long-standing partner and shareholder. It will be the largest biotechnology complex in Eastern Europe for the production of vaccines. Moreover, we have built it very quickly from scratch.

We have purchased the best modern high-tech equipment for this factory, including over 200 bioreactors with different capacities. We hope the factory will be added soon to the registration certificate of Sputnik V and a new product, Sputnik Light, of the Gamaleya Research Centre. We plan to roll out the vaccine already in April or May. The factory’s plans for the second quarter include over 20 million dozes of Sputnik V and tens of millions of Sputnik Light.


<…>


Director of the Gamaleya National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology Alexander Gintsburg:

The Gamaleya Centre also addresses the problem of expanding the production of the Sputnik Light vaccine. In addition, as the holder of the registration certificate, the Centre assumes all responsibility for quality control of this vaccine at all enterprises where it is manufactured in this country and abroad.

Moreover, the Centre is directly involved in launching contractual production that is mostly organised by the Russian Direct Investment Fund. The Centre has prepared the entire package of documents for registering the Sputnik Light vaccine in 55 countries. Considering that each country has its own regulatory system, this is not a fixed package of documents that will apply everywhere; we have to adapt it to every country’s regulatory system.

The Centre is also working on creating various modifications of the Sputnik V vaccine, primarily for different population categories.

The Government’s financial support made it possible for us to quickly and effectively complete the first, second and third stages of clinical trials. The Lancet, a highly prestigious and popular medical journal, published two articles on the results of these trials. This provides important scientific evidence proving the vaccine’s efficacy, and, in our opinion, this has also answered a lot of questions. In any event, this has completely eliminated the Western academic community’ scepticism regarding this vaccine’s quality and efficacy.

My deputy Denis Logunov and I subsequently held numerous meetings with researchers and leading US and European specialists working on similar vaccines, and we proved that our scientific and other approaches were correct, as was the regulatory system that the Russian Government used in these emergency circumstances, during the pandemic, in order to register the vaccine, meaning the procedures stipulated in the Government’s Resolution No. 441 that all Russians are familiar with. Although no one has mentioned this resolution, I would like to note that the entire world now uses its regulatory principles.

Regarding our current plans to further promote this vaccine, I would like to note that major efforts are now underway to prepare the documents that will, hopefully, make it possible to study the effect of Sputnik Light on children, after all formalities with its registration for adults are completed. Clinical and scientific data show that, unfortunately, children also contract COVID-19. Fortunately, they do not always suffer as much as adults, but, nevertheless, the situation is rather disturbing. Today, no one knows what long-term consequences of the infection children may suffer. Consequently, the vaccination of children is a problem that each country and the international community will either face in the near future or is already facing. We are also currently studying the protection that Sputnik Light gives against new strains of the coronavirus.

I would like to inform you that last week the Gamaleya Research Centre held large talks, headed by Russian Ambassador to Italy Sergei Razov, with a leading Italian regulatory institute, the Spallanzani Institute, a counterpart of ours. We have agreed that this week their regulatory bodies will send us through their Ministry of Health a draft memorandum of cooperation between the two institutes, because according to the Spallanzani Institute, it has the largest collection of newly emerged and isolated strains of COVID-19 pathogens in Europe, and this is really so.

If you support this, in just a week the Italians are ready to welcome our employees, who are ready to bring plasma samples from patients vaccinated with Sputnik V, so that the substantial range and number of strains available in the Spallanzani Institute’s collection can be tested for the neutralising activity of the serum obtained from those vaccinated with Sputnik V.

With such cooperation, this work can be done quite quickly. Of course, it not only draws great scientific interest but, I hope, a broad public response, as well as enhances the reputation and promotes our medicine on the global stage in the future.

Once again, thank you very much, Mr President, for supporting all our work at all the development stages and for paying attention to our efforts.



Vladimir Putin:

Thank you.

Mr Gintsburg, speaking about children’s vaccination, at what age can it begin today? What do you think?



Alexander Gintsburg:

Mr President, it is an appropriate and understandable question. Of course, children must be divided into several age groups. It is necessary to start from the age of 17 and down to 12 or 13. We are now working on this with paediatricians. You see, I am not an expert in paediatric immunology. We have great specialists, and now we are clarifying this.

The next group probably will be those eight years old and up. It is difficult for me to make a prediction for the next one. Perhaps three or four years. Perhaps we will add a lower age group. For this age group – thank you for asking this question – we have developed, patented, and are currently launching clinical trials of Sputnik V’s intranasal form. This is a very gentle and patient-friendly form of vaccination for children, especially little children, who can be traumatised when they see a syringe or when possible side effects arise. The first experiments show that the intranasal form is completely free from any side effects.



Vladimir Putin:

How long do you think it will take to receive such a medicine? Approximately. I know, and I do not want to embarrass you, but please give me the approximate timing.



Alexander Gintsburg:

I believe this year we will launch and complete clinical trials of the intranasal form. We will do everything to this end.



Vladimir Putin:

Okay. Thank you.

Now to international cooperation. We have depoliticised it since the very beginning. Some of our partners see some kind of politicisation on our part. I have already said many times that this is not true, this has never happened. No politicisation. On the contrary, we understand and want our common success to be achieved through joint efforts. Moreover, we believe that it is only possible to develop immunity, not only in our country, but also in other countries, by combining efforts. Therefore, we have always spoken in favour of uniting these efforts, and will work like that. If our Italian partners want, we will gladly work with them.

I have one more question, Mr Gintsburg. I understand that your whole team worked on the anti-coronavirus vaccine but there must be some specific lead developer. Who is this person?





Alexander Gintsburg:

Mainly, it is my neighbour here, Denis Logunov and, of course, his young employees. Mr President, should I list their names from memory or do you have them already?



Vladimir Putin:

I have them. I would like to give the floor to Mr Logunov with your permission. I would like to see him and I want our entire country to see him.

Mr Logunov, how did this work go and what are the prospects? Your supervisor has just talked about this, but I still want to ask your opinion about any further development of this medication.



Denis Logunov, Deputy Director for Research at the Gamaleya National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology:

Mr President, thank you for this opportunity to say a few words.

I would like to emphasise once again that this is a big team at the Gamaleya Centre. Of course, I am not denying that I was in charge of this, but I would like to highlight that over 400 people were involved in this project.

Naturally, our immediate plans include increasing vaccine production volume. This is the most important challenge we need to resolve. This is our number one task, and of course, this includes transferring the technology abroad. So, this is the production story.

In terms of science, I consider it extremely important to conduct expanded monitoring of the existing virus strains and to assess the efficiency of the vaccine at the screening level. We must at least examine sera screening from vaccinated patient’s reactions to new strains. I consider this very important. The flu virus is also studied in much the same way. A huge number of centres have been established all over the world. I believe similar work must be conducted as regards SARS-CoV-2. We must not miss the important moment when the virus, for one, gets out of control and the existing vaccines may become even potentially ineffective.

In terms of science, I consider this prospect the most important.

Thank you for this opportunity to speak.



Vladimir Putin:

Thank you.

You mentioned cooperation with our foreign partners in technology transfer. What do you think, if you have dealt with this, about the level of patent assertion? After all, we are offering something that nobody else offers in the world — we are offering technology transfer.



Denis Logunov:

All the patents have been drafted, Mr President. We have submitted the Eurasian patent applications as well. The Gamaleya Centre has done its part regarding patent assertion. The details and technicalities need to be organised by the Russian Direct Investment Fund. They are in charge of a big part of this and are responsible for many things, so if our colleagues are online, perhaps, they might want add something to what I said.



Vladimir Putin:

Yes, we have them online. But before I invite them to speak, I want to thank you for your accomplishments, yours and, of course, the entire institute and that large group of your colleagues, researchers, who achieved this result and created the Sputnik V vaccine for our country and our people.

The vaccine enjoys high demand and, as we can see, and you see it too, it gives us the opportunity to resolve numerous other issues that appear unrelated to healthcare, including the economy and the social sphere. Everything turned out to be intertwined, and it strongly influenced everyday life and the economy in our country and other countries – much more in other countries than in Russia – that we could never imagine that this was possible; but it is. And it turned out that your work, the work of your colleagues, you said 400 people were involved in this effort, was very much needed.

I have already had the opportunity to thank Mr Gintsburg, and now I want to thank you personally and everyone who made this possible and achieved this excellent result.

Now, let's put the RDIF Head on. Mr. Dmitriev, are you with us? What can you tell us about patent protection?



CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Kirill Dmitriev:

Thank you very much, Mr President.

Our patent protection is very strong. We submitted applications early on, much earlier than other countries, and thus got a headstart. Accordingly, the Gamaleya Institute owns the innovations that are available even at these foreign sites, which include over 20 partner companies in 10 countries.

We believe a US vaccine-maker is most likely infringing on our patents. We have notified this company and want to start a dialogue with them. Clearly, we are not planning to ask them for compensation during the pandemic, but we will certainly be very careful about protecting our intellectual rights.

Mr President, in closing I would like to thank you, because it was your idea to build production partnerships with various countries, and 20 manufacturers from over 10 countries responded. For them, it’s about vaccine safety and independence, and Russia was the only country to have come up with this offer.

Thank you very much. They are very grateful to you for this.



Vladimir Putin:

Thank you.

Mr Maksyutov from the Vektor Centre in Novosibirsk, you have the floor.



Director General of the Vektor State Research Centre of Virology and Biotechnology Rinat Maksyutov:

Mr President,

We are currently working to expand production of the EpiVacCorona vaccine, which was authorised in the Russian Federation on October 13, 2020.

The vaccine consists of two key components, namely, peptides, short fragments of the new coronavirus’ S-protein, and a carrier protein. We now manufacture two million doses monthly.

The Vektor Centre is located in the unique science town of Koltsovo. This has allowed our research centre to quickly find and engage industrial partners for developing the vaccine and expanding its production. I am talking about the companies EpiVac and Vector-BiAlgam.

Until now, we manufactured vaccine ampoules alone. In early March, we launched a new production line for manufacturing syringe doses, and this will make it possible to more easily vaccinate people at medical facilities.

We are expanding additional vaccine production at a Geropharm facility. Under our production plan, we are set to manufacture 1.5 million doses in April, followed by three million in May. And we are to manufacture five million vaccine doses in the single-dose format from June.

While addressing these production tasks, we have successfully completed clinical trials of the EpiVacCorona vaccine; the trials involved volunteers aged over 60. From March 3, the vaccine can be used for all persons over 18 years old, without any upper limits.

The vaccine’s high safety profile makes it possible to use the preparation for re-vaccinating persons who have already received any COVID-19 vaccine, as well as recovered COVID-19 patients.

The specific technological feature of the vaccine is the use of conservative components of the S protein of the novel coronavirus for the selection of peptides, which ensures the vaccine’s effectiveness against a variety of SARS-CoV-2 strains. Vektor is the only WHO COVID-19 reference laboratory in Russia. It not only conducts the entire range of viral studies of the novel coronavirus, but is also monitoring its genetic mutations across the country on a regular basis.

By now, we have found over 5,300 genetic variations across the genome. In the overwhelming number of cases, the replacement does not change the epidemiological characteristics of the virus. At the same time, we have also found over 50 variations of the British strain, three cases of the South African strain and over 20 unique variations of the virus that must be thoroughly studied.

Vektor is studying these variations of the virus in accordance with a special algorithm. We are studying the virus’s stability on various surfaces; we are also using unique equipment, which has no analogues throughout the world, to study the ability of the virus to be transmitted between living organisms. We have found that the British strain of the novel coronavirus can be effectively neutralised by serum taken from those who had COVID and those vaccinated with Sputnik V or EpiVacCorona.





Vladimir Putin:

If I understood you correctly, a vaccine, in this case the vaccine created at your centre, can be effectively used against various strains, new strains of the coronavirus infection?



Rinat Maksyutov:

Yes, you are quite right. We are checking this not only theoretically based on the sequences of peptide antibodies selected for the creation of this vaccine, but also based on the entire range of strains circulating in Russia, which we receive and use for relevant studies. The vaccine has proved to be effective against all of them.



Vladimir Putin:

I see.

You have mentioned revaccination. Does this mean that your vaccine can be used some time later, when the antibodies disappear?



Rinat Maksyutov:

Yes, absolutely. We believe that vaccination will remain effective against the novel coronavirus for a year. But anyway, this vaccine can be used for revaccination as many times as necessary, thanks to its platform which has no extra components. In other words, it can be used again in a year, once a year, or every year, without any limitations, including after the use of any other vaccines, for protection against COVID-19.



Vladimir Putin:

Good.

Mr Ishmukhametov, Chumakov Centre, please.



Director General of the Chumakov Federal Scientific Centre for the Research and Development of Immune and Biological Products (Russian Academy of Sciences) Aidar Ishmukhametov:

Mr President,

The Chumakov Centre is one of the oldest facilities in the Russian Federation and the oldest vaccine developer in Russia. We remember that in the 1960s, this centre’s achievements helped the country deal with polio. The centre back then developed a unique vaccine that was supplied to the entire world, including the United States, Europe, Japan and many other countries. In fact, now this facility, the Institute of Poliomyelitis, is known around the world.

We are continuing this tradition. As of today, we have developed and produced five vaccines, including for tick-borne encephalitis, rabies and the yellow fever vaccine that is supplied to almost 50 countries, which is perhaps Russia’s biggest export in the pharmaceutical industry.

I am telling you this because I would like you to know about the conditions in which we started on this new job. It was in line with our current work. We did not intend to work exclusively on the coronavirus vaccine. It was important to us to maintain the same production volume and supply vaccines according to the national vaccination calendar as well as deliver on the exports. So we needed to fit this new objective into our existing model. And we succeeded.

How? First of all, thanks to our institute’s structure. The institute consists of departments that focus on fundamental science, applied research, trial production and industrial production itself. We inherited this research and development facility from the Soviet Union where it was a leader in this industry, and we are developing it. We also have a secret advantage, which is our young staff, young boys and girls, as we call them. The average age of our scientists who designed this vaccine is about 30.

Perhaps that – and the understanding that we had to do it – helped us create a whole-virion vaccine. Allow me to remind you that this is a conventional vaccine and we spent exactly one year designing it. I should point out that none of the American or European companies used this type of technology although until recently, before the pandemic, 100 percent of all vaccines were produced with this method.

I think two circumstances prompted this decision. First, our close cooperation with research institutes and timely assistance from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. Within a very short period of time, we were provided with funds that allowed us to build a team and carry out fundamental research that outlined the structure of the virus and its functional characteristics. This research served as a basis for the practical task of developing a vaccine. Second, we scaled up our research and production facility thanks to our industrial partnership with Nanolek of several years. In this situation, we increased our capacity and we expect to produce up to 10 million [doses] this year. We usually deliver on our obligations.

Mr President, I would like to stress that this type of organisation that has a research and development facility at its core that can outline the task and release a certain number of batches of the vaccine consisting of tens of millions [of doses], on the one hand, and well-coordinated work with research institutes and the search for partners, on the other hand, is a very efficient model. We believe that this model needs further development. We are currently discussing this matter with the ministry. This is not just about a specific vaccine or a specific disease; it is important to us to understand what can happen tomorrow if another disaster or epidemic happens. We need to build a model that can react and adjust to new threats.

Thank you.



Vladimir Putin:

I see.

Mr Ishmukhametov, I fully agree with you. We need a stable and reliable model that can protect Russian citizens and the country against scenarios and threats like those that we have dealt with, with the coronavirus. I fully agree with you.

I am glad to hear that you have established a strong relationship with the Russian Academy of Sciences and, as you said, with industrial partners. Certainly, this trio must continue to work efficiently in the future – especially because we know now that the spread of an infection at such a fearful rate is an extremely serious challenge for our country and for the entire world. So the fact that you managed to build up this scientific base is extremely important. Of course, this model needs scaling up in the future.


<…>


CEO of the National Immunobiological Company, Rostec State Corporation, Andrei Zagorsky:

As my colleagues have said, vaccine production in the country is growing steadily. We see it from the number of lorries that arrive at our warehouse every day. Once accepted, the products go to a freezer facility, which is right behind me, where they get consolidated and shipped to the regions. This is carried out in close cooperation with the manufacturing sites, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the Healthcare Ministry, as well as cargo recipients in the regions. We have no doubt that we will be able to fulfill our tasks on schedule.





Vladimir Putin:

Good. Thank you.

As I understand it, you are operating an established system meaning that you are supplying other vaccines, including flu vaccines.



Andrei Zagorsky:

Absolutely. Our perimeter includes two companies, including Microgen, which produces about 70 percent of the vaccines on the national immunisation schedule included in the nomenclature. In addition, in late 2020, we completed a deal to consolidate 100 percent of the shares of a company that is Russia’s largest and one of the world's largest manufacturers of flu vaccines. We have been the only supplier and authorised contractor under the national vaccination schedule since 2014.



Vladimir Putin:

Mr Zagorsky, you and I understand that the logistics of supplying the vaccines against coronavirus have their own specifics and require fairly low – not really low like Pfizer with its 70 degrees below zero Celsius – but still 20 degrees below zero Celsius, or slightly lower temperatures still must be observed. What can you tell us in this regard?



Andrei Zagorsky:

That is true. We monitor the entire production process, especially the temperature, all the way from production, transport, acceptance to a warehouse, storage at the warehouse, to shipment to a recipient region. All products are transported in thermal containers, which can keep temperatures at 18 degrees below zero Celsius for about five days.



Vladimir Putin:

I see. Good.


<…>


Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova:

I would like to say a big thank you to our colleagues who are participating or not participating in this meeting, the development teams. To reiterate, in a fairly short time, despite the difficulties, amid the challenging pandemic of 2020, our colleagues accomplished something that seemed almost impossible. Indeed, as you noted, Mr President, they worked 24/7 and made Russia the leader in the production and use of vaccines, primarily, for the public in Russia.

Now, our main challenge is to provide the regions with the necessary amounts of vaccine as soon as possible, because it is being used up quickly. Our goal is to achieve, as quickly and efficiently as possible, the herd immunity numbers that we have set for ourselves. We believe that herd immunity can be achieved in July or August this year; and if production and the vaccination rate pick up the pace, we can get there even sooner.

I would like to take this opportunity to address our citizens. Vacation time is fast approaching, and you will start buying holiday packages soon. Please make sure that health safety comes first, which means go ahead and get vaccinated to make your vacations safe for yourself and your families.

Mr President, please accept my heartfelt thanks for your support and faith in our researchers, our science and our manufacturing industry; your belief that we will rise to the occasion. We really did – and will now be able to accomplish much more.

Thank you.



Vladimir Putin:

Thank you very much.

So, we understand in what direction we should be moving. The figures are understandable, and the production scale is also clear.

Therefore, I would like to thank once again the developers for the results of their work. We all hope, the entire country hopes for your help in case a situation similar to the coronavirus outbreak occurs. Judging by what we have heard today, this hope is not idle – we have wonderful research facilities and good personnel. I am referring to the young researchers in this area.

I would like to wish success to the producers – very much now depends on you. It is one thing to produce vaccines for a foreign consumer at foreign sites, and it is another to ensure the required scale of production inside the country. I would like to emphasise over and over again that for us the number one task is to vaccinate our people, to protect our citizens against this infection.

I would like to ask the Healthcare Minister to present proposals on the following matter. I have heard that state decorations have already been conferred on some employees of our research centres who took part in developing these vaccines. But we also heard today that hundreds of people were working on this issue. So, please think it over carefully once again and confer state decorations on all those who did this work. Ms Golikova, I would like you to think, together with the Finance Minister, not only about state decorations but also about material incentives.

Many thanks to everyone. I wish success to all of you.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65181






Greetings to Chechnya residents on Chechen Republic Constitution Day



Vladimir Putin sent greetings to the residents of Chechnya on Chechen Republic Constitution Day.



March 23, 2021 - 09:00



The message reads, in part:

“A referendum was held 18 years ago, and the residents of Chechnya resolutely confirmed a line stipulating unity with Russia, the reinstatement of law and order in the region and the uncompromising fight against international terrorism. The people’s firm and unshakeable will served as a foundation for reviving the Republic and returning it to peaceful life.

Since then, we have accomplished a lot together for the sake of Chechnya’s stable development, for realising its economic potential, streamlining the infrastructure and the social sphere, strengthening inter-ethnic peace and accord as well as improving the people’s well-being.

I am quite certain that, while relying on the provisions and principles of the Constitution of the Chechen Republic, the ideological, spiritual and patriotic legacy of its First President and Hero of Russia Akhmat Haji Kadyrov, you will continue to work persistently and achieve successes, while accomplishing essential tasks for the benefit of Chechnya and the whole country.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65189






Winners of 2020 Presidential prizes for young culture professionals and for writing and art for children and young people announced



Presidential Adviser Vladimir Tolstoy announced the winners of the 2020 Presidential Prize for Young Culture Professionals and the 2020 Presidential Prize for Writing and Art for Children and Young People at a special briefing.



March 23, 2021 - 13:30 - Moscow







Executive Order on Awarding the 2020 Presidential Prize for Young Culture Professionals

Having considered the recommendations of the Presidential Council for Culture and Art, the President resolved:

To award the 2020 Presidential Prize for Young Culture Professionals and the honorary title of prize-winner to:

Dimitris Botinis, conductor, for his contribution to developing the traditions of Russian music and educational activities;

Elmir Nizamov, composer, for his contribution to continuing the traditions of the Russian composition school;

Anna Chipovskaya, actress, for her performances of classical and contemporary roles in theatre and in films.

* * *





Executive Order on Awarding the 2020 Presidential Prize for Writing and Art for Children and Young People

Having considered the recommendations of the Presidential Council for Culture and Art, the President resolved:

To award the 2020 Presidential Prize for Writing and Art for Children and Young People and the honorary title of prize-winner to:

Vladimir Zuikov, artist (posthumously), for his contribution to the development of Russian animation and cinematographic education;

Alexander Punko, teacher at Children’s Art School No. 1, Karasuksky District, Novosibirsk Region, for his contribution to the development of Russian musical education and the popularisation of music for wind instruments;

Igor Ugolnikov, Alexander Shkolnik and Dmitry Poshtarenko, who have put together the Feat of the People exhibition at the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945, for their contribution to the patriotic education of the younger generation.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65188
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Meeting with Chairman of the Accounts Chamber Alexei Kudrin



Vladimir Putin held a working meeting with Chairman of the Accounts Chamber Alexei Kudrin to discuss the Chamber’s performance in 2020.



March 23, 2021 - 13:40 - The Kremlin, Moscow







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Mr Kudrin, let us talk about the Accounts Chamber’s performance in 2020.





Chairman of the Accounts Chamber Alexei Kudrin:

Thank you, Mr President.

Last year was difficult because of the pandemic, and many ministries switched to remote work. By decision of the Government, supervisory authorities, including the Federal Taxation Service and others, made a pause, a break in inspections.

We are also a supervisory authority, and we also made the decision to take a complete break for two months. However, we did not waste this time. We updated the standards, conducted training for inspectors, analysed previously obtained results and drew certain conclusions.

Thus, we gave the ministries some leeway so that they did not have to go offline. Some inspections were held remotely, and the number by on-site inspections was reduced by 38 percent. Of course, the main results and violations are generally revealed during on-site inspections.

Naturally, last year we identified fewer violations, but I think this was just such an unusual year. We held 334 probes, cancelled 35, but conducted six new ones related to the analysis of extensive measures to support the population and businesses.

We checked incentive payments to doctors. Following the complaints we received, we carried out an integrated investigation in all regions involving their supervisory and accounting authorities with inspections of specific hospitals.

Now the probe into purchases of medical equipment, including ventilators, is nearing completion. We are checking the guarantees that are provided to the business: whether everything is in order, whether the guarantees are received on time, and whether there are any violations. Such inspections, as a rule, have been completed, and will soon be reviewed by the board.

In general, as for the monitoring of incentive payments to doctors, I can say that the Government has resolved the situation. The number of negative comments and complaints has dropped significantly. In this sense, the regulatory framework is finally working. Initially, it was done so that each region and each municipality or hospital determined certain parameters of these payments themselves. Now we have finally reached some very important principles. Although there is a very large difference between regions in terms of the number of doctors per patient who receive this payment, which differs greatly at times, the work continues.

There are control measures and expert analytics. Control measures mostly consist of inspections of the disposal of special-purpose funds, possible embezzlement and the quality of the balance sheet. We conduct the majority of such inspections, 244; after all, this is our main job.

Expert analytics are measures used to expose systemic management problems, the conveyance of transfers and the payment of allowances. Following these inspections we usually offer recommendations for improving the tools used to provide such assistance so as to be able to reduce the number of violations.





(Alexei Kudrin provided the statistics of such measures.)

We returned 11 billion rubles to the budget, more than in 2019, despite the pandemic. Courts ruled that the decisions regarding 39 violations were correct; punishment has been meted out to the concerned officials and legal entities. Fines have been approved in accordance with the Code of Administrative Procedure. We forwarded 52 cases to prosecutor’s offices, the Investigative Committee, the Interior Ministry and the FSB. In other words, we are keeping up with our work despite last year’s obstacles.

In addition, we conduct thorough examinations of draft laws and Government regulations. We made 1,474 conclusions regarding them, which is more than the year before. More regulations were issued on support packages in connection with the pandemic. Our suggestions are usually accepted. In short, we are monitoring the quality of regulations as well.

Of course, some inspections are more important than others. First of all, we inspected the quality of corporate governance of state-owned companies, state-owned JSCs and so-called federal state unitary enterprises. We have established that there is no unified register of such companies, which is why the data of various government agencies and the Federal Taxation Service differ. By the way, the Government acted promptly and rallied the necessary forces together so as to be able to get a true picture of what’s going on.

Understandably, there are also questions about a large number of unprofitable enterprises and the fact that no measures or not enough measures are being taken to improve their efficiency. The dividend policy is not streamlined, formalised in any regulations or based on coordinated principles. Decisions on the payment of dividends are usually made individually, and hence the budget receives less than is due to it.

To be continued.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65187






Telephone conversation with President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev



Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the latter’s initiative.



March 23, 2021 - 15:30



In view of the talks between the Russian and Kazakhstani prime ministers held on March 22 in Moscow, the presidents discussed a number of topical issues on the bilateral agenda, with a focus on further expanding trade and economic cooperation.

The two leaders paid special attention to stepping up efforts to counter the coronavirus pandemic, including the use of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine in Kazakhstan.

They also touched upon cooperation within integration associations in Eurasia and agreed to maintain contacts at various levels.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65191






Executive Order on the Early Termination of the Term of Office of the Penza Region Governor



The President signed an Executive Order on the Early Termination of the Term of Office of the Penza Region Governor.



March 23, 2021 - 21:20



Based on the Federal Law on the General Principles of Organising Legislative (Representative) Government Bodies in the Regions of the Russian Federation, the President signed an executive order to relieve Ivan Belozertsev from his position as Penza Region Governor due to loss of trust.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65192






Greetings on the opening of international inter-party conference Russia-Africa: Reviving Traditions



Vladimir Putin sent greetings to the participants in the international inter-party conference Russia-Africa: Reviving Traditions.



March 24, 2021 - 10:00



The message reads, in part:

“The first Russia-Africa Summit held in 2019 has given a powerful impetus to the development of friendly relations between Russia and African countries. Joint efforts are being taken to implement the agreements reached in a number of spheres. An important role in strengthening Russian-African interaction should be played, of course, by inter-party dialogue, which has still been developing despite the restrictions due to the epidemiological situation.

Evidence of this is today’s videoconference, which is being attended by representatives of the leading African parliamentary parties. The event’s agenda includes vital topics such as ensuring peace and regional security, preventing interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states, strengthening economic and humanitarian ties and, of course, joining efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Russia will continue sharing its experience in this field and supplying effective vaccines, which have been acclaimed worldwide, as well as providing comprehensive medical assistance.

I really hope that the international conference initiated by the United Russia party will not only make a significant contribution to strengthening inter-party cooperation, but will also become a stage in the preparations for the second Russia-Africa Summit scheduled for 2022.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65194






Meeting with Novgorod Region Governor Andrei Nikitin



The Head of the region briefed the President on the region’s socioeconomic situation.



March 24, 2021 - 13:20 - The Kremlin, Moscow







The Governor began his report by mentioning an important regional parameter: for a second year, the region had registered a positive migration balance. People arrive from the country’s northern and central territories, and there is also an influx of Russian compatriots from the near abroad. Many medical workers arrived from southern countries and former Soviet republics.

According to Andrei Nikitin, one of the reasons behind this trend was that Novgorod ranked fourth in its category of Russian cities with the best public amenities. For example, its road construction plan had been fulfilled by 193 percent, thanks to the President’s support. The regional authorities also see the subject of young WorldSkills professionals as important. People from 24 regions study in the Novgorod Region; and competition among young people enrolling at some colleges is 12 applicants per vacancy. A regional geriatric centre, one of the best national centres for rehabilitating senior citizens with serious health disorders, has also opened here. Today, the centre can treat 19,000 patients annually. The local university, which is developing well, also contributes to additional migration, and the number of students studying there has increased by 46 percent. Young people come to study and then stay in the region.





According to the Governor, it had been possible to achieve a robust economic performance despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The region ranks 11th in the country in terms of its investment climate and eighth in terms of measures for supporting small businesses during the coronavirus pandemic. Mr Nikitin recalled that a preliminary agreement with HASSLACHER Co. had been signed in 2018 in the presence of the President of Russia and the Chancellor of Austria. Today, three companies, HASSLACHER, IKEA and UPM-Kymmene, are investing ten billion rubles in the Novgorod Region’s in-depth timber-processing projects. Akron has launched a wonderful project to produce ammonia and carbamide, and 140 billion rubles are to be invested in the next four years. Work is now underway.

The Governor noted that regional poverty levels exceeded the national average. He thanked the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection for assistance in the field of social contracts. About 20,000 people received effective support for overcoming poverty. This work will continue at the same pace throughout 2021.





The President and the Governor also discussed the work of medical institutions and support for medical workers during the pandemic. Doctors have stopped leaving the region, and the situation has stabilised thanks to the special regional programme and a programme for relocating compatriots from abroad.

The Novgorod Technical School is being built on the instructions of the President. Currently, the first laboratories that were opened in temporary premises, are already achieving results cooperating with serious partners under civilian and defence projects.





The Governor dwelled on another important matter, namely, the establishment of the National Historical and Archaeological Centre named after Academician Valentin Yanin, a major researcher of Novgorod Rus. Much has been accomplished in order to study the Novgorod Kremlin and other historical and archaeological sites. Plans have been compiled for all these sites, and project design work is underway.

The President noted that this was a highly important matter because the origins of Russian statehood were located in Novgorod; it was therefore absolutely important that proper attention is devoted to this.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65197






Greetings on Greek Independence Day



The President of Russia sent greetings to President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on the occasion of the national holiday, Independence Day.



March 25, 2021 - 10:00



In his messages, Vladimir Putin stressed that Russia highly values its relations with Greece that are based on long-standing traditions of friendship, cultural and spiritual closeness.

The Russian leader also expressed confidence that the planned Russia-Greece Year of History, the launch of which is timed to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the start of the Greek national liberation struggle, will help cement the mutually beneficial ties between the two countries.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65212






Greetings to the Ot Vinta International Festival of Children and Youth Scientific and Technical Creativity



Vladimir Putin sent a message of greetings to the participants, organisers and guests of the Ot Vinta International Festival of Children and Youth Scientific and Technical Creativity.



March 25, 2021 - 11:00



The message reads, in part:

“The current 16th festival in Krasnodar has brought together talented and really engaged young people who want to realise their original and interesting ideas, to talk to fellow-minded people and discuss their bold ideas with them. It is good to see participants who took part in the festival in previous years returning here again today, as experts and mentors.

I am confident that the festival will become an important and memorable event of the Year of Science and Technology being held in Russia now and will help young people fulfil their creative potential and craving for discovery.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65221






Greetings to 8th International Trans-Siberian Art Festival



Vladimir Putin sent greetings to the organisers, participants and guests of the 8th International Trans-Siberian Art Festival.



March 25, 2021 - 15:00



The message reads, in part:

“Each year, your wonderful project gathers ever more creative momentum, and today it is rightfully considered a spectacular event in the cultural life of Siberia as well as the entire country. This success has become possible due to the joint enthusiastic work of the organisers and participants in the festival, and everyone who helps develop and promote it. And, of course, I greatly appreciate the work of Vadim Repin, the creator and artistic director of the forum.

I am quite sure that this year’s event will once again bring together talented performers, conductors and famous groups of musicians, and will become a great festive occasion for its guests and participants.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65222






Greetings on the opening of the 10th extraordinary congress of the OPORA Russia public association for small and medium-sized entrepreneurship



Vladimir Putin sent greetings to the participants, organisers and guests of the 10th extraordinary congress of the OPORA Russia public association for small and medium-sized entrepreneurship.



March 25, 2021 - 15:00



The message reads, in part:

“For many years, this reputable organisation has been bringing together representatives of the business community from across Russia. You have good knowledge of the situation on the ground and of the conditions in which entrepreneurs operate. You are the state’s reliable partner when it comes to tackling such problems as improving the business and investment climate in the country, creating favourable conditions for private initiatives, and boosting the competitiveness of domestic products. It is important to continue taking advantage of OPORA Russia’s accumulated experience and strong potential in order to strengthen the national economy and the social sector, to develop territories and to ensure people’s wellbeing.

I am convinced that this conference will be very productive, and the ideas and proposals presented during the conference will be in great demand.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65223






Meeting with winners of Presidential prizes for young culture professionals and for writing and art for children



On Cultural Worker’s Day, Vladimir Putin held a videoconference with the winners of the 2019–2020 Presidential Prize for Young Culture Professionals and the 2019–2020 Presidential Prize for Writing and Art for Children and Young People.



March 25, 2021 - 16:30 - The Kremlin, Moscow






President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon, friends,

First of all, I want to congratulate you and all your colleagues in Moscow and in other Russian regions, on the occasion of Cultural Worker’s Day.

This professional holiday is probably relatable to every person in its own way. Culture and art permeate literally all spheres of public, state, and personal life. Russia has always highly respected, I would even say revered the representatives of this sphere – writers, artists, theatre and cinema workers, museum curators, employees of cultural and educational institutions.

This attitude is largely induced by the very special qualities that you all, people of art, have in common, and that also sets you apart. You have been endowed with a creative talent, you simply cannot live without creating – or at least this is how we see you – and you are giving all your energy, talent and love to your chosen art and your audience.

This attitude very clearly manifested itself during the period of lockdowns during the pandemic. Understanding all the difficulties faced by our museums, libraries, concert and stage venues, the government made every effort to support the entities working in the cultural sphere. And the fact that cultural life continued in Russia, against all odds, moreover, expanded to new formats – you deserve full credit for this.





Such fidelity to your vocation, to your high creative mission can be rightfully described as truly selfless devotion. In those difficult times, your work and its results have given emotional support to millions of people. This was extremely important during that hard period of time. And I would like to once again thank you and all your colleagues for this.

I would also like to congratulate the winners of the prize for writing and art for children and young people and the prize for young culture professionals, who are attending this ceremony online. Unfortunately, the circumstances have prevented us from holding a full-format, traditional ceremony to honour the winners for the second straight year, something we will hold as soon as possible, circumstances permitting.

Today, I would like to discuss topics that are of particular interest to us. I always appreciate the opportunity to exchange opinions with people who can appreciate the value of the written and spoken word and understand the importance of our native language and our outstanding national culture for Russia’s present and future. Without a doubt, you are certainly among these people.

Each one of you, excellent teachers, actors, artists and writers, has made a valuable personal contribution to promoting culture and education, and establishing values ​​and traditions that unite generations and help educate the young citizens of Russia using the best examples of creativity, teaching them to be proud of their country, and realise the size and importance of our people’s contribution to global culture and the global cultural development.





Goethe once said: “Even though the world is progressing, young people have to start over every time.” This is true in many respects, but I will also quote Russian classic writer Leo Tolstoy, who told young people: “Take what is available and move forward. This is what makes humankind strong.” This is also true. Anyway, culture and art are exceptionally important. Often, they make it possible for the younger generations to see, understand and appreciate their predecessors’ achievements and realise that innovation is not about rejecting the past, but about building on it.

I propose discussing the forms and means that domestic literature, art, music and theatre can use to convey the true values ​​that Russian culture has embodied at all times, namely, humanism, morality and justice, to children and young adults. We will talk about what we need to do for the more established and authoritative cultural figures to be more involved in influencing the younger generations, new generations, including promoting the natural gifts and talents of the rising stars in education and art and forming high aesthetic taste and deep meaningfulness.

Again, I congratulate you on your professional day and your laureate titles. I wish you good health, prosperity and great successes in your creative endeavours.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65218






Visit to the Children's Musical Theatre of Young Actor



Vladimir Putin visited the new building of the Children's Musical Theatre of Young Actor and toured its training-and-rehearsal complex and audience hall.



March 25, 2021 - 18:30 - Moscow







The Children's Musical Theatre of Young Actor, established in 1988, is a recognised leader in children’s theatre in Russia.








The theatre’s performances involve actors aged 9–16. Its repertoire includes Russian and international musical classics, intended mainly for young audiences.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65224
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Congratulations to Anastasia Mishina and Alexander Gallyamov on their victory at the 2021 World Figure Skating Championships in Stockholm



Vladimir Putin congratulated Anastasia Mishina and Alexander Gallyamov on winning the pairs event at the 2021 World Figure Skating Championships in Stockholm, Sweden.



March 26, 2021 - 10:00







The message reads, in part:

“You performed brilliantly at your first world championships in Stockholm, having shown great skill and remarkable artistry. You won the first gold medal for our team at this competition. And, of course, let me say special words of gratitude to your coaches and mentors, who led you to this beautiful and convincing victory.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65236






Meeting of the Supervisory Board of the Russia – Land of Opportunity autonomous non-profit organisation



The President attended a meeting of the Supervisory Board of the Russia – Land of Opportunity autonomous non-profit organisation.



March 26, 2021 - 16:20 - Novo-Ogaryovo, Moscow Region







The participants discussed the performance of the Russia – Land of Opportunity platform over the past three years, including its flagship projects Leaders of Russia, the Digital Breakthrough, Bolshaya Peremena, the Masters of Hospitality, I Am a Professional, Professional Training 2.0, TopBLOG, Teacher of the Future and Mentorship.







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon, friends and colleagues.

I am very happy to see you all.





Today, we are holding the second meeting of the Supervisory Board of the Russia – Land of Opportunity autonomous non-profit organisation. To be honest, this organisation has already become a broad public movement, so to say, because, over the past three years, five million people have been involved in various events linked with this platform.





We wanted very much to create an additional opportunity for young people, to enable them to realise their potential where they live and study, while relying on their talents and capabilities. To my mind, this task has been largely accomplished. And it should be said that, on the whole, this is yielding results. Frankly speaking, I never expected that, to the best of my knowledge, two governors, several deputy ministers and deputy heads of federal agencies, the mayors of major cities and the heads of our largest companies would all use this platform.





I know that all those who have gathered here in Novo-Ogaryovo today, as well as our colleagues with whom we are working online, have their own ideas of specific achievements and their own assessments and proposals. This concerns high-priority issues, our future progress and ways of facilitating this platform’s efficient use.





In my opinion, the so-called social mobility is being successfully used during this work. As I have already said, schoolchildren and university students are able to use their best qualities in order to achieve the goals that they have set for themselves.





In any event, this is a very good opportunity to make a start and get off to a good start. We have very many aspects, including artificial intelligence, healthcare and volunteering. You name it, we’ve got it, but all these things are in high demand, and there are no unnecessary items on this list.





Let’s talk about all this. I am very happy to see you, and I suggest launching our discussion and conversation.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65227






The Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Nikolai Yevmenov, reported on the course of the comprehensive Arctic expedition to the President



March 26, 2021 - 17:15






President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Mr Yevmenov, good afternoon.



Commander-in-Chief of the Navy Nikolai Yevmenov:

Good afternoon, Comrade Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation!



Vladimir Putin:

The Arctic expedition that you will report on is unprecedented in the history of both the Soviet period and the current history of the Russian Federation. Please give us this report.



Nikolai Yevmenov:

Comrade Supreme Commander-in-Chief! The Umka-2021 comprehensive Arctic expedition has been held by the Chief Command of the Navy and has been ongoing since March 20, this month. A package of operational and training, and research and practical undertakings of different designations is being carried out under an integrated plan in the polar regions for the first time.

In all, the plan provides for 43 basic objectives. The expedition venue is Franz Josef Land archipelago, notably Alexandra Land and the adjacent ice-covered waters.

The average temperature there now is −25 to −30 degrees Celsius; the ice thickness is up to 1.5 metres, with winds up to 32 metres per second.

Over 600 military and civilian personnel are involved in the expedition, as well as about 200 pieces of military and special equipment and weapons.

At this point, 35 objectives have been fulfilled under the plan and eight are still being carried out in line with the plan.

The following tasks have been fulfilled for the first time in the history of the Navy: three atomic missile carriers arrived on schedule within a region with a radius of 300 metres after breaking through 1.5 metre thick ice under an integrated plan; two MiG-31s flew into the polar region including midair refueling, during which they passed over the geographical North Pole in two directions; and we practiced torpedo firing from a nuclear-powered submarine under the ice. After the training torpedo stopped beneath the ice, it was located with technical equipment and retrieved to the surface.

Also, an Arctic motorised rifle brigade unit conducted a tactical exercise in unfamiliar terrain in adverse weather conditions while it was detached from the main base.

As a result, the weapons, the military and special equipment proved out their technical specifications in the high latitudes and low temperatures. The exercises are being carried out as planned.

Comrade Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the practice of conducting integrated Arctic expeditions by the Navy will continue. Most importantly, finding new, even less explored territories will be the main objective of future expeditions.

This concludes my report.





Vladimir Putin:

These combat training, research and practical measures have demonstrated the Russian Navy’s abilities and preparedness to operate in the harsh northern latitudes. The submarine, military transport aircraft and fighter aircraft crews, as well as Arctic motorised rifle units have shown improvements in combat training in the harsh Arctic environment. Our domestic weapons’ high combat capability and reliability in extreme weather conditions have been confirmed.

I want the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy to convey my words of gratitude to the personnel who participated in the expedition and the exercises, for their courage, dedication and professionalism.

The integrated Arctic expeditions, studies and exploration of the Far North in order to ensure Russia’s military security must be continued.

Thank you, Mr Yevmenov.



Nikolai Yevmenov:

Yes, Comrade Supreme Commander-in-Chief! We will complete all the assignments.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65229






Telephone conversation with Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan



Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan at the initiative of the Armenian side.



March 26, 2021 - 18:20



When discussing the developments in Nagorno-Karabakh, the leaders were satisfied to note that the situation in the region has stabilised and remains generally calm.

They also discussed topical issues of bilateral cooperation with an emphasis on energy and the fight against the coronavirus.

They agreed to maintain further contacts.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65230






Security Council meeting



The President held a Security Council meeting via video conference, during which the participants reviewed the draft Basic Principles of State Policy of the Russian Federation on International Information Security.



March 26, 2021 - 18:20 - Novo-Ogaryovo, Moscow Region



The meeting was attended by permanent members of the Security Council, including Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Anton Vaino, Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, Minister of the Interior Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, Director of the Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov, Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Sergei Naryshkin, and Special Presidential Representative for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport Sergei Ivanov and a number of other invitees.







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon, colleagues!

Today we will review issues related to the state policy on international information security. This is an urgent and extremely important topic.

The 21st century is referred to as a time of breakthroughs in information technology. As we are well aware, this technology is conquering practically all areas of life. These include new systems of transmission and global communications, the so-called Internet of Things and artificial intelligence, e-government services and digital medicine. The traditional areas of activities by the state, society and business are undergoing radical transformation and completely new opportunities are being created for developing the economy and the labour market and improving living standards.

At the same time, new technological solutions engender new risks. We are seeing that the global digital space is often becoming a venue for tough information confrontation, dishonest competition and cyberattacks. All this is fundamentally changing the situation in the world. The digital environment is being used by international terrorists and organised crime. There are many potential threats to common, global security and to individual countries, in part, to their sovereignty and national interests.

Russia was among the first countries to have urged the international community to join efforts in this area which was new for civilisation. Back in 1998, Russia spearheaded a relevant resolution which was adopted by the UN General Assembly. In fact, it was a call for broad-based cooperation in fighting common threats in the cyberspace, primarily attempts to use the latest technology to disrupt international peace and stability.

Moreover, largely thanks to our efforts, information security has become an item on the UN General Assembly’s agenda, and the adoption of a relevant resolution has become an annual event.

Our approaches to forming a global regime for ensuring information security and developing clear-cut rules remain open, transparent and unaltered.

We believe it is necessary to conclude universal international legal agreements designed to prevent conflicts and build a mutually beneficial partnership in the global cyberspace, to use it as much as possible for the sustainable development of each nation, and to create favourable conditions for scientific research and the rapid implementation of the most advanced technological solutions for staving off potential risks.

It is important to jointly develop and agree on universal and fair-for-all rules on the responsible behaviour of states in the cyberspace with clear and easy-to-follow criteria for acceptable and unacceptable actions and to make them legally binding. In other words, each country must strictly follow these rules.

At the same time, we advocate the inviolability of the digital sovereignty of states. This means that each country can independently determine the variables for regulating its information space and the corresponding infrastructure.

To reiterate, we support equality, order and mutual respect in the cyber sphere, as well as its progressive development. Of course, all interested partners should be able to join in the dialogue on this important agenda.

The Basic Principles of State Policy in International Information Security adopted in 2013 was an important phase in this most important, strategic area. The document defined our main goal – to contribute to the formation of a global system for the protection of the international information landscape.

The implementation of this document has led to a number of significant practical steps. In 2018, most of the UN member states approved the Russia-sponsored resolution on international information security, and that resolution was the first to formalise the aforementioned rules of conduct in this area.

In 2019, a specialised negotiating mechanism was launched under the auspices of the UN, also created at Russia’s initiative – the Open-Ended Working Group.

We proposed a few more interesting and forward-looking ideas in this area, including the development of a global convention on the fight against cybercrime, which were supported by many countries.

Today, it is important to be more effective and more active in all the key areas. This is what the new edition of the Basic Principles of State Policy in International Information Security, which we will discuss today, should be doing. The previous one expired in 2020.

In this regard, I would like to highlight several points that I see as crucial.

First, in the updated document, it is important to preserve the continuity of our strategic policy on preventing conflicts in the information landscape. It needs to reaffirm our commitment to the previously declared state policy goals. At the same time, we will need to clarify its priorities with due account for current realities, and adjust them where necessary.

Second, we need to more energetically promote Russia’s initiatives, and intensify our role in the negotiation process.

Let me emphasise – Russia, as before, is open to dialogue and constructive interaction with all its partners, both in a bilateral format and at international platforms and forums, primarily, of course, at the United Nations.

As I have said, in the past few years the UN has paid serious and increasing attention to the issues of ensuring security and developing the international information space. It is necessary to work to turn Russian ideas and proposals in this universal organisation into specific resolutions.

Of course, it is very important to give priority to the development of dialogue on these issues with our closest partners in the CSTO, CIS, SCO and BRICS.

The third point: we must concentrate on developing mechanisms for practical cooperation in ensuring the security of the global information space. The scale for partnership in this respect is exceptionally broad: exchange of experience and joint response to computer incidents, personnel training and research.

We must certainly help our colleagues, including, of course, our closest partners, build information security systems, give them the relevant technology and equipment, and investigate cybercrime through a concerted effort.

And the fourth point, in conclusion, for the effective implementation of the government policy described in the new version of the foundations, we must more actively use the opportunities of scientific and expert circles and the business community, including, of course, the National Association of International Information Security.

To promote Russia’s position, it is important to strengthen existing international discussion venues and create new ones both in Russia and abroad. This is a very solid resource that has not realised its full potential.

And, finally, government bodies must conduct systematic and productive activities in this respect. I am primarily referring to the coordinating role of the Security Council and Foreign Ministry personnel and cooperation between targeted interdepartmental groups.

Let’s discuss in detail today how to make this work more effective; we will start with the reports.

I give the floor to Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65231






Oleg Melnichenko appointed Acting Governor of the Penza Region



Vladimir Putin held a videoconference meeting with Oleg Melnichenko, during which he signed the Executive Order on the Acting Governor of the Penza Region.



March 26, 2021 - 19:50










Following the early termination of the term of office of Penza Region Governor Ivan Belozertsev, the President appointed Oleg Melnichenko Acting Governor of the Penza Region until an elected governor takes office.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65233






Passover greetings



Vladimir Putin congratulated the Russian Jewish community on Passover.



March 27, 2021 - 09:00



The message reads, in part:

“This is one of the most revered holidays among the followers of Judaism. It has an enduring historical, spiritual and moral value and takes the believers to events in the distant past: the deliverance of the Jewish people from slavery and the triumph of the ideals of freedom, kindness and justice.

It is important that Russia’s Jewish organisations do a great deal to preserve religious, ethnic and cultural customs and traditions of their ancestors, and pay unwavering attention to enhancing the institution of the family and raising the young. Most importantly, their active and highly needed efforts to maintain peace and concord in society and expand international humanitarian contacts deserve sincere respect.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65234






Address on National Guard Day



March 27, 2021 - 09:00







Vladimir Putin:

Comrades, veterans,

Please accept my best wishes on your professional holiday, the Russian National Guard Day.

Established five years ago, the National Guard has become an independent and important structure in the law enforcement system, protecting the rights and interests of society and citizens. It effectively takes part in achieving crucial state goals and makes its own hefty contribution to the fight against terrorism and extremism, controls the civilian circulation of weapons and guards crucial facilities, safeguards the law and ensures security during mass events, including large international sports competitions and other forums in our country.

I am also aware of the current extraordinarily big load related to ensuring the preventive public health regimes which were introduced in the country’s regions to fight the coronavirus epidemic. You are pursuing this humanitarian mission with honour and respect for the people and care for their health.

I would like to especially highlight the fact that the Russian National Guard maintains the historical traditions of the Interior Ministry Troops, OMON Special Police Force and SOBR Rapid Deployment Task Force, which joined the National Guard.

The National Guard officers and commanders are proudly continuing glorious combat traditions of stamina and courage, honest and dedicated service to our Motherland and our people. They act resolutely and professionally, fearlessly risk their lives to stop and neutralise perpetrators, protect the people and fulfil their orders.

I thank all the military personnel, employees and civilian personnel of the National Guard for their professional and effective service, solving the challenges they face, for their readiness to carry out their purposeful and needed service under most difficult conditions, for always being on duty.

I wish you, your families, all your brothers-in-arms and merited retired officers good health, happiness and success.

Happy holiday!




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65237






Greetings to Muus uSTAR Youth Festival participants



Vladimir Putin sent a message of greetings to the participants of the Muus uSTAR Youth Festival.



March 27, 2021 - 10:00



The President’s message reads, in part:

“I am sincerely pleased that a new and vibrant project launches in Yakutia today. It is unique in many ways since the festival’s unusual format, its workshops, discussions and contests open up broad opportunities for young people to assert themselves, showcase their achievements in their professions, the arts, sport, business and other areas. And of course, the forum’s participants and guests will have the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of northern nature and to become acquainted with the history of this old and harsh land, its culture and authentic traditions of the peoples living here.

I am confident that the festival will be a success and will become an excellent and much needed communication platform for active and talented youth interested in exciting and substantive ideas that are result-oriented and pursue practical goals, while the participation in this large-scale event will offer you useful experience and knowledge.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65241






Condolences to President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi



Vladimir Putin expressed his sincere condolences to President of the Arab Republic of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi over the tragic outcome of the train crash in Sohag governorate.



March 27, 2021 - 10:20



The President’s message reads, in part:

“Please relate the words of sincere sympathy and support to the victims’ families and friends, and wishes of speedy recovery for the injured.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65240
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Congratulations to Viktoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov, winners of the 2021 World Figure Skating Championships



Vladimir Putin congratulated Viktoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov on winning the ice dance competition at the 2021 ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Stockholm, Sweden.



March 27, 2021 - 23:20







The message reads, in part:

“You have won your well-deserved title, and did so confidently and strikingly. You have shown brilliant skill and consistency of performance, captivating the jury as well as numerous figure skating fans. Such triumphant performances contribute to our country’s sporting glory. Well done!”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65251






Greetings to the new composition of the Central Election Commission



Vladimir Putin sent greetings to the new members of the Central Election Commission of Russia for 2021–2026, and guests of the first constituent meeting of the CEC new composition.



March 29, 2021 - 11:00



The message reads, in part:

“Over the past years, the members of the Central Election Commission have set high standards for holding elections and referendums based on strict observance of the law and on the use of best practices and advanced digital technologies that open up wide opportunities for citizens to participate in the country’s public and political affairs and for the development of institutions of direct democracy, enhancing transparency and competitive nature of electoral procedures, safeguarding the interests of each voter.

I am confident that your professionalism and firm adherence to the traditions established by your predecessors will contribute to holding the next federal election campaign at a high level. It is of the essence for the country, for its development and sovereignty that the election results reflect the true will of the citizens of Russia.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65245






Meeting with permanent members of the Security Council



Vladimir Putin held a meeting, via videoconference, with permanent members of the Security Council.



March 29, 2021 - 15:30 - Novo-Ogaryovo, Moscow Region



The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Anton Vaino, Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Director of the Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov, Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Sergei Naryshkin, and Special Presidential Representative for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport Sergei Ivanov.







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon, colleagues,

Today, I would like to discuss with you measures to improve the work of regulatory and law-enforcement agencies on preventing violations of law in the sphere of natural resource management. This is a very important and urgent topic, particularly in practical terms.

We are continuously dealing with this in the Government, and the Presidential Executive Office is always in the know of things and makes its own contribution to this work.

There are also questions relating to ensuring law and order and this is certainly a topic that must be discussed at this current meeting with permanent members of the Security Council.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65248






Meeting of the Council for Interethnic Relations



Vladimir Putin chaired the tenth meeting of the Presidential Council for Interethnic Relations via videoconference.



March 30, 2021 - 16:05 - Novo-Ogaryovo, Moscow Region



The meeting discussed the strengthening of Russian civic identity, the creation and promotion of ethnocultural tourism, the role of education in harmonising interethnic relations, and progress in implementing the State National Policy Strategy until 2025.






President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon, colleagues,

We have not seen each other for a long time; we have not met for a while because of the events we all know about, the epidemic, but I hope we will be productive today.

I would like to start with a major topic, and it is about strengthening the nation’s civic identity. There is nothing more important for Russia, or for any other country, and we know what problems many countries are facing today in this key area – on the American continent as well as on the European one.

We will also hear reports on the role of education in harmonising interethnic relations, including with regard to the social adaptation of migrant children and on creating and promoting ethnocultural tourism projects in the Russian regions. It seems that these are separate topics, but at the same time they are strongly interrelated.

But first I would like to congratulate our colleagues, Maxim Amelin, Vladimir Grigoryev and Dmitry Itskovich. They have created a unique and innovative publishing project – a multilingual anthology of contemporary literature of the peoples of Russia – and have become prize winners for their contribution to strengthening the unity of the Russian nation.

Let me add that a new stage of the competition for this prize started on March 1. Taking into account its importance, I decided to increase the prize amount to 5 million rubles.





I would also like to thank all members of our Council for being active in the drafting and subsequent adoption of amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The changes, approved by an absolute majority of citizens, have enshrined the basic principles of the state national policy; the Constitution now says a lot about it. This includes strengthening the unity of the people of Russia, ensuring interethnic accord, preserving the country's ethnocultural and linguistic diversity.

All the clauses of the updated Constitution will be followed up in federal laws. This work is already underway, as you know well. In particular, the Government, in collaboration with a wide range of experts, is working on a concept for the state language policy.

The Russian language receives special attention in the draft. You know how great its significance is for all citizens of Russia – for the socioeconomic, spiritual and cultural consolidation of society.

By the end of this year, the State Duma will adopt in the third reading amendments to the Law On the Languages ​​of the Peoples of the Russian Federation. It will reflect the state’s responsibility for preserving the native languages ​​of the peoples living in Russia, and for creating the right conditions for their study and development.

I would like to ask the members of the Council to become more actively involved in law-making, and to provide expert support for the deputies’ work in relevant areas.





Colleagues,

To successfully tackle the tasks facing the country we need not only an effective economy and competent management. For a huge multinational state such as Russia it is fundamentally, and even crucially important, to ensure public solidarity and a feeling of involvement in the life of the Fatherland and responsibility for its present and future, which is commonly referred to as Russian identity and civic consciousness.

In some countries, civic identity and ethnic identity are seen as rival notions. I believe that this approach is absolutely incorrect, to put it mildly, and absolutely unacceptable in our country. Our people come from different ethnic groups, but they have a common country, Russia.

This is also true for our national languages and customs. Our common state language and our common cultural and spiritual values and traditions, which developed over centuries, are strengthening Russia’s unity and might, and are ensuring our sovereignty and independence.

I would like to emphasise that economic and political problems are the root causes of the majority of hot spots around the world. Yes, this is so. But it is interethnic and religious intolerance that are usually incited to provoke conflicts.

We must prevent, and we will prevent any aggressive demonstration of one’s ethnic origin or disrespect for other ethnic groups in Russia, and we will not allow foreign conflicts of this kind to be brought to our country.

At this moment, over 80 percent of Russian citizens have a positive view on interethnic relations in the country. However, this matter calls for constant, I would even say daily work. In addition, we understand that this issue has always been and still remains a deeply personal and an extremely sensitive sphere. This is why I would like to say once again: we must pay close and constant attention to the implementation of the national policy, especially in the regions, and our actions must be as delicate, tactful and accurate as possible.





This is also important in connection with the upcoming nationwide Population Census, and I would like to give this a special mention. As a rule, the census takes place every ten years and it provides the most complete picture of the number and size of large and small ethnic groups, and this picture has to be absolutely objective. I am asking the Federal State Statistics Service as well as the Prosecutor General's Office to ensure people's constitutional right to freely express their will in defining their ethnicity during the census, and to strictly suppress any attempts at pressure and especially discrimination on ethnic grounds.

Dividing citizens into friends and foes is not the best example to show the younger generations. One’s civic identity, like patriotism, is not given at birth, rather these are formed later in life. They are fostered by the actions of adults, by models of their behaviour and images proliferated by the media, by our entire social environment: culture, science, and education. All this, along with the traditions in the family, contributes to the education of young people.

I cannot help but mention the recent period of the coronavirus restrictions in this connection. I started with it, and now I would like to say this again. Remarkable examples of mutual assistance, disinterested help, and solidarity regardless of one’s age, social status, ethnicity or religion – we have seen all these examples quite recently. And it is important that these examples become a moral guideline for young people, for our children.

And of course, in order to realise that they are part of a huge and beautiful country, and to love our Motherland, young generations must get to know the country, in all the diversity of its nature and geography, history, and the various cultures and traditions of our peoples.

I hope that the Tourism and the Hospitality Industry national project will contribute to achieving that; we will also talk about this today. The proposal to develop that project was supported last November, as you know. I also support your proposal, colleagues, to include measures for the development of ethnocultural tourism in that national project. We will certainly discuss this today as well.

Russia has a unique and original heritage of its peoples. It is part of our common wealth, and it should be accessible to every resident of our country, every citizen, everyone who lives on this land, and again, this primarily concerns the younger generations.

Let's move on to our agenda.


<…>





Vladimir Putin:

To finish up, I would like to draw your attention to the following: the list of instructions will certainly note the need to take additional measures for the adaptation of children of foreign citizens in the Russian Federation.

We will also note the issues of tourism, support for the ethnocultural parks that are being established now, including methodological support at the federal level.

Of course, we will note the need to review the proposal that was just made to create a national centre for studying the history of the Great Patriotic War, as well as the proposal to extend the terms for temporary stay of minors of foreign citizens in the Russian Federation.

Naturally, we will again return, in this list of instructions, to the National Population Census and the need to strictly comply with Russian Federation laws. In this context, it is vital to prevent any discrimination on social, ethnic, national, linguistic or religious grounds. These are extremely important issues.

Some other proposals that I consider important were also made at our meeting. I would like to ask the Presidential Executive Office to summarise them and present proposals to be included in the list of instructions.

Colleagues, I would like to thank all of you for continuing this work and for your participation in our today’s meeting. I hope we will continue to cooperate in the future.

I do not need to repeat how important your work is for multiethnic and multi-religious Russia.

Thank you very much.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65252






Talks with Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron



Vladimir Putin had talks, via videoconference, with Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Angela Merkel and President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron.



March 30, 2021 - 22:55



The talks focused on the task of consolidating efforts against a common threat, the coronavirus pandemic. In this context, the leaders discussed measures to prevent the further spread of the infection, including the outlook for the registration of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine in the EU and possible deliveries and joint production of the vaccine in the EU countries.

During an in-depth exchange of views on the situation in Ukraine, the leaders confirmed the lack of alternatives to the 2015 Minsk Package of Measures as the basis for a settlement of the internal conflict in that country. The President of Russia emphasised that it is important that the Kiev authorities implement all the previous agreements reached at the top level, primarily on establishing a direct dialogue with Donetsk and Lugansk and settling the legal aspects of a special status for Donbass. The Russian leader expressed serious concern about the escalation of armed confrontation on the contact line being provoked by Ukraine and its refusal to implement the additional measures to strengthen the ceasefire coordinated by the Trilateral Contact Group in July 2020. The leaders’ political advisers will continue their joint efforts.

When talking about the developments in Belarus, Vladimir Putin pointed out that foreign interference in the affairs of that sovereign state is unacceptable.

The leaders also discussed a settlement in Libya. They noted with satisfaction that the conflicting sides complied with the ceasefire regime and expressed hope that the establishment of united transitional authorities in the country would become a major step towards an effective political process involving all the main Libyan forces.

It was pointed out that the situation in Syria continued stabilising and that one of the priority issues was the provision of humanitarian aid to the Syrian people.

The leaders of Russia, Germany and France unambiguously called for the preservation and implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran’s nuclear programme and continued coordination of efforts towards this objective.

They also discussed relations between Russia and the EU. The Russian leader reaffirmed Russia’s readiness to restore a normal depoliticised interaction with the EU, provided there is reciprocal interest.

Regarding the issue of Alexei Navalny raised by the partners, explanations of the objective circumstances of the case were provided.

Overall, the talks were held in a business-like and frank atmosphere. It was agreed to continue working together on all aspects of the current agenda.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65254






Framework agreement signed between trade union associations, employers, and the Government for 2021–2023



The President attended, via videoconference, a ceremony of signing a General Agreement between Russian trade union associations, Russian employers’ associations, and the Government for 2021–2023.



March 31, 2021 - 14:50 - Novo-Ogaryovo, Moscow Region



Chairman of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia Mikhail Shmakov, President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Alexander Shokhin and Minister of Labour and Social Protection Anton Kotyakov signed the Agreement. The ceremony was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinator of the Russian Trilateral Commission on Regulating Social and Labour Relations Tatyana Golikova.

The agreement formalises at the federal level the principles of regulating social, labour and associated economic relations between trade unions, employers and the executive branch for the next three years.







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon, colleagues, friends.

I would like to welcome all the participants in this signing ceremony for the 14th General Agreement between trade unions, employers’ associations and the Government.

Indeed, this is a document of great social significance. The Agreement concerns the interests of more than 70 million Russian citizens employed in different sectors of the economy and the social sector. We must continue this partnership in order to fully protect and guarantee the labour and employment rights of our people.

I would like to take this opportunity to praise the constructive help that the Russian Trilateral Commission provided to the Government during the epidemic, including the Commission’s involvement in developing crisis response measures to support our citizens, small businesses and the most affected industries in general.

Certainly, the leaders of trade unions and representatives of the business community, the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, have done a lot to ensure workforce retention, and this was our main task. They have also worked hard to help people and medical personnel. Thank you very much for all this.

Indeed, you have proved your commitment to the values of social partnership in an extraordinary situation. I am confident that such mutual understanding will serve as a solid foundation for addressing joint tasks in the interests of the country’s citizens.

I would like to focus on the main aspects here. First, we have to restore the labour market to 2019 levels. We are constantly discussing this matter with the Government, and the task can primarily be accomplished through expanded business activity, by investing extra assets in jobs and through investment.

Several weeks ago, we met with representatives of the national business community. I would like to underscore the fact that our colleagues have the desire, as well as substantial resources, to invest in new projects.





I would also like to add that the state will support entrepreneurs who provide employment to people who lost their jobs last year. To be more exact, the state will reimburse part of the cost of the wages of these workers. Their employers will get three minimum wages per worker over a period of six months.

At the same time, it is necessary to use all available tools, including remote work mechanisms in order to create jobs and thereby allowing people, regardless of their age, place of residence or health restrictions, to earn money and to obtain worthy incomes, and their labour rights should also be reliably protected.

On the whole, all the decisions have already been made, and we have to fulfil them and monitor their implementation.

Secondly, I suggest studying the possibility of expanding easy-term treatment and rehabilitation programmes for workers at trade-union and corporate health resorts and holiday hotels. The trade unions retain a large chain of these institutions. First of all – I believe you will agree with me – these vouchers should be issued to people who had severe cases of COVID-19, who have suffered from major complications. We simply have to support these people under a special procedure.

On the whole, I am asking you to focus on improving employees’ health, and this certainly includes preventive checkups and support for mass sport.

Third, it is necessary to step up joint efforts by domestic companies, the trade unions, and WorldSkills so that people have access to retraining programmes that would help people acquire additional skills or a new specialty, allowing them to use the advantages of technological progress to broaden their professional and career prospects.

For our part, this year we will certainly help the most vulnerable in the labour market to upgrade their skills. These are mothers with small children, pre-pensioners and people with disabilities.

I would like to make a special point. Everything that we are doing together – taking care of the health of our people, creating jobs, and providing retraining opportunities – is subordinate to the main goal: to ensure that people live a better life, earn more and improve their wellbeing.





Let me recall that we have halved the fiscal load on medium and small companies. This decision – let me say it again – is long-term and we are not going to abandon it. Naturally, we hope for reciprocal steps on behalf of businesses. Mr Shokhin, we expect businesses to meet us halfway, notably, that the resources thus saved will be used to increase wages and salaries for employees.

But, of course, I would like to emphasise that we must strive to increase people’s real incomes, and this directly depends on an economic upsurge and the observance of macroeconomic parameters. We will expand opportunities for business initiatives and the sustainable growth of industries and enterprises and practically resolve the issues of labour relations. The Russian Trilateral Commission must take part in drafting specific steps and measures to support workers.

This is what I would like to say in conclusion. Respect for the working people, social partnership and economic solidarity are the main principles that we introduced into the updated Constitution. It is necessary to make these constitutional provisions work in every region, branch, city and in specific teams of workers and at plants and factories.

The Government, trade unions and employers must work as closely together as possible, as true partners.

Colleagues, I would like to congratulate you on today’s event and wish you this kind of coherent work. Needless to say, in the current conditions it would be appropriate to wish you excellent health and wellbeing.

Let us proceed to the ceremony. Go ahead, please.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65257






Meeting with Government members



The President held a meeting with Government members via videoconference. The main item on the agenda was funding programmes for the development of the regions.



March 31, 2021 - 16:50 - Novo-Ogaryovo, Moscow Region



The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Chief of the Presidential Executive Office Anton Vaino, First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov, First Deputy Chief of the Presidential Executive Office Sergei Kiriyenko, Deputy Prime Ministers Viktoria Abramchenko, Tatyana Golikova, Alexander Novak, Alexei Overchuk, Marat Khusnullin and Dmitry Chernyshenko, Deputy Prime Minister and Chief of the Government Executive Office Dmitry Grigorenko, Deputy Prime Minister and Plenipotentiary Presidential Representative in the Far Eastern Federal District Yury Trutnev, Presidential Aides Maxim Oreshkin and Igor Levitin, Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, Emergencies Minister Yevgeny Zinichev, Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment Alexander Kozlov, Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov, Minister of Construction, Housing and Utilities Irek Faizullin, Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media Maksut Shadayev, Plenipotentiary Presidential Representative in the Urals Federal District Vladimir Yakushev, Head of the Federal Customs Service Vladimir Bulavin and a number of regional governors.







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon, colleagues. I am happy to see you all.

Before we start working, I would like to mention one current issue – I asked you to study the problem of the Bashkir soda company.

As you are aware, in accordance with a court verdict, about 96 percent of its shares have become property of the Russian Federation. It is vital to ensure the long-term, effective operation of this company and the production of competitive products. Needless to say, this is always very important but today even more than ever. This will keep people in paid jobs.

Competent corporate management is one of the things that matters most here. Decisions to this end have been made. I want the Government to transfer 38.3 percent of the shares of the Bashkir Soda Company to the Republic of Bashkortostan. As a matter of fact, this is what Bashkortostan has always owned. In addition, as agreed with the leaders of the republic, among others, I want another 11.7 percent plus one share transferred to trust companies that are fully controlled by the government of the republic meaning that the local authorities will manage this company in full. At the same time, almost 57.7 percent of the shares will remain federally owned, and the controlling stock will, as I said, be owned by the republic.

In addition, I want you to execute a special agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Bashkortostan to define specific plans and key performance indicators for the Bashkir Soda Company, including output and investment figures. We will need to watch how the company is managed and provide oversight mechanisms to monitor the use of state property.

Mr Mishustin, we have discussed this subject many times, so please see it through to the end.



Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin:

I will, Mr President.



Vladimir Putin:

Thank you. I hope that Bashkortostan’s leaders will do their part with regard to the tasks facing this company.

Let us move on to our main item, unless, of course, the head of the Republic of Bashkortostan wants to say or add something to the above.



Head of the Republic of Bashkortostan Radiy Khabirov:

Mr President, just a couple of words, if I may.

Good afternoon, Mr President, colleagues,

I want to thank you for this decision. For many years, soda production privatisation has been a sensitive issue for the people in Bashkortostan, and they feel grateful for this decision.

We understand the level of responsibility and the role and importance of this enterprise for the national and local economies, so we will see to it that the company expands and is upgraded as necessary.

Thank you so much for your trust again.



Vladimir Putin:

Look, the controlling stock in the company changed hands not through a fault of the federal authorities, but in connection with the decisions of the republic's leaders. There is nothing wrong with privatisation, but it must be in line with the goals. The company must work effectively and comply with a certain code of conduct.

Therefore, I look forward to these efforts continuing into the future. I also hope that the company will be properly managed. The company’s economic activities must be properly ensured, including resources, this should also be kept in mind.



Radiy Khabirov:

I understand, Mr President.



Vladimir Putin:

Yes, the resources must be there.

Good. Let us move on to the main item.

However, before that, we need to briefly discuss a number of issues at hand. The level of preparedness for the flooding and wildfire season is among the most important ones.


<…>





Vladimir Putin:

Let us summarise our discussion.

Overall, I support these approaches – I certainly know what this discussion is about and along what parameters the restructuring is to be carried out. I will not talk about it at this point. I understand that 20 percent on the revenue side sounds like the right figure, and I would like to continue working along these lines.

I would like to make several points. First, concerning the balancing of regional budgets in the Russian Federation. Last year, Mr Siluanov was directly involved in this work the whole time. I have just mentioned this in passing: the Finance Ministry has launched additional mechanisms for supporting regional finances and this approach has been successful overall.

I am sure that this year the Finance Ministry will also come up with the necessary instruments and carry out the required measures, as the Minister has just said.

That said, normalising the budget policy in the regions must be carried out step by step, just as we have planned for the federal budget. I would like to ask you to consider this in determining the amounts of additional support. However, the Finance Ministry must continuously monitor the situation to keep people from saying: Oh! What is happening here? And, where have you been looking? I understand it is impossible to control every sneeze and every comma, but after all, you see what is happening and must react promptly. There is a mechanism for this.

Second. As I said, we are consistently working to improve the regional finances, and this is what we are doing today, too. One of the main steps here is restructuring commercial debt, which is what we are discussing today. As a rule, such loans are expensive and short-term – I think our colleague from Mordovia spoke about this – and are fairly burdensome for the regions.

We need to finalise the parameters of such restructuring, make it as fair as possible and do it soon, without putting it off indefinitely.

Third. Now that the economy and the revenue base of the regions is recovering it is very important to give the regions additional opportunities and instruments for developing their infrastructure and help them form a foundation for future economic growth.

Mr Khusnullin told us about the principles of such a national programme. I certainly support them. I would like to emphasise that both the Finance Ministry and the relevant departments must strictly control the implementation of this programme. Loans taken out to develop the infrastructure must not be used to cover current expenses. In the meantime, we are hardly controlling them.

In conclusion, I would like to remind you about the preparations for the Address to the Federal Assembly. Colleagues, in this context I would like to ask you to determine within two weeks the parameters of additional financial support for the regions this year so I can refer to them in the Address. I would also like to ask you to prepare specific proposals on restructuring their commercial debt and launching the programme for regional infrastructure development.

I would like to thank all of you for our joint efforts.

Thank you very much.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65258
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Telephone conversation with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev



Vladimir Putin held a telephone conversation with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.



April 1, 2021 - 13:05



Developments in Nagorno-Karabakh were discussed. The leaders noted with satisfaction that the situation was stable in general and the ceasefire regime was complied with.

Taking into account Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk’s talks held in Baku, there was a discussion of the work to establish economic ties and transport communications in Southern Caucasus, carried out in line with the statement of the Russian, Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders of November 9, 2020, and January 11, 2021. In this context, the activities of the Working Group co-chaired by the three countries’ deputy prime ministers were praised.

The presidents also touched on a number of issues on the bilateral agenda, including cooperation in countering the spread of the coronavirus. They reaffirmed their mutual commitment to continue strengthening Russian-Azerbaijani strategic partnership and promoting mutually beneficial projects.

They also agreed on further contacts.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65260






Meeting with Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova



Vladimir Putin held his annual meeting with the Human Rights Commissioner of the Russian Federation.



April 1, 2021 - 13:20 - The Kremlin, Moscow



As per tradition, Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova presented her 2020 performance report to the President and informed him about the main results of her activities since taking office in 2016. A number of topical issues on the entire range of human rights were discussed.

The President noted the growing trust to the institute of Human Rights Commissioner, as shown by the number of requests, among other things (more than 205,000 over a period of five years), and focused on Tatyana Moskalkova’s active work on human rights protection during the coronavirus pandemic as well as her contribution to protecting Russian citizens abroad.

Following the meeting, Vladimir Putin nominated Tatyana Moskalkova for the State Duma to appoint her as Human Rights Commissioner of the Russian Federation for another five-year term.







Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova:

Mr President, in line with to federal constitutional law, I would like to present my 2020 performance report and I am ready to inform you on my results over the five years. How time flies, and next month marks five years since I assumed office.



President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good.



Tatyana Moskalkova:

Mr President, here is my 2020 performance report. Allow me to get down to the results.



Vladimir Putin:

Of course, please.



Tatyana Moskalkova:

We have considered increasing the efficiency of using the tools provided for by the federal constitutional law, increasing the level of interaction with state authorities and helping as many people as possible in protecting human rights and in restoring their rights as our main task during this period, since the Commissioner cannot make a decision or overturn it, but can convince the authorities to address these issues.

Over the past five years, we have received more than 205,000 requests. Of course, for legal reasons, we could not accept them all. However, based on the requests we did accept, we managed to help a great number of people. There was a six-fold increase in the number of rights violation cases where we could help by enlisting the help of other government authorities, the Prosecutor General’s Office, supervisory and oversight authorities. Almost 5,900 decisions of government bodies were cancelled, modified or replaced by new decisions. As a result, the rights of more than 15,000 citizens were restored, which is more than 1.5 million people if we consider the public at large. One example was that of foreign currency mortgage borrowers. I am referring to cases affecting several thousands of people.

The most acute problems remain the same though: overdue wages, violence in penitentiary facilities, housing and utilities problems and a long waiting list for social housing. Recently, there have been more incidents of preventing access for lawyers to detainees on administrative charges. COVID-19 is not the only reason. I am currently looking into this problem.

I believe over these past five years we have managed to resolve some very important issues concerning the institution of regional human rights ombudsmen. Today every Russian region has a respective law and a human rights ombudsman appointed by law.

Last year, you signed the first Federal Law in history concerning human rights ombudsmen in the Russian regions. The law determines common approaches to forming this institution in the regions and commissioners’ powers. This measure contributed greatly to strengthening the institute of Russian human rights ombudsmen as a single structure.

It was with your support that the National Human Rights Research and Education Centre was established. It is the first education structure that can provide professional development to human rights commissioners, their subordinates, young human rights activists, and members of public supervisory commissions.

When it comes to international initiatives, we started a Eurasian Alliance of Ombudsmen. Initially, the alliance was established by Russia, Armenia, and the Kyrgyz Republic. Now it includes eight ombudsmen from foreign countries, including Iran, Mongolia, Serbia, and Kazakhstan joined last year. This means that the international platform is developing and there are opportunities for helping people without unnecessary red tape and without involving government authorities.

It is very important that you backed the idea of creating a new international platform in the form of a permanent annual international forum where ombudsmen can exchange their views.





Vladimir Putin:

How is that coming along?



Tatyana Moskalkova:

Last year, despite the pandemic, it was attended by representatives from nearly all international bodies, including the UN, the Council of Europe and PACE, as well as 18 foreign ombudsmen. Altogether, over 20 countries take part in these international events. Following them, we formulate our recommendations and publish a bulletin. Most importantly, it is a platform where we can talk about the values we cherish and exchange experience in the protection of citizens’ rights and interests.

Over the past five years, we have resolved, with your support, a number of major systemic problems. In 2017, I informed you about the problems concerning foreign currency mortgage holders, and a state programme was formulated based on your instructions. Over 21,000 people have not been required to give up their mortgaged flats, the only ones they owned, thanks to the state programme for assistance to those who could not repay their mortgages.

For almost three years we held meetings to discuss the case of every such individual. I would like to thank you on behalf of these people and personally for helping them retain their only home.

One more programme that is also very important concerned the resettlement of Russian citizens from Baikonur [a cosmodrome in Kazakhstan] back in Russia after the space programme was terminated. These people could not return to Russia because they had nowhere to live. Since then, 1,200 of these families have received housing.

Regrettably, the Presidential Executive Order does not include all the groups that need support. I would like to draw your attention to three more groups: teachers, medical personnel and social workers. Today I will deliver a special letter on this topic to you.



Vladimir Putin:

All right.



Tatiana Moskalkova:

Of the 205,000 appeals we received last year, 11,000 were collective appeals. As a rule, they deal with the most alarming matters, including labour disputes and major wage arrears. In my opinion, we scored good results in this field. We visited various areas and listened to people. Our officials received almost 20,000 people, including 1,500 received by me, in 40 regions.

The most impressive results include 25,000 people whose housing and utility rights were reinstated. In all, 2,500 people obtained flats and social benefits for buying housing. The rights of 70,000 employees were reinstated, and these people received 1.3 billion rubles.

We helped exchange Russian and Ukrainian inmates. Thank you for this opportunity that allowed us to complete this job.

We were also involved in Russian-Ukrainian sailor exchanges. Russian sailors were unable to return to Crimea for almost six months because they had Russian passports.



Vladimir Putin:

Fishermen.





Tatiana Moskalkova:

You are absolutely right, fishermen from the vessel Nord and a Ukrainian vessel. I believe that this experience will someday go down in history as a model exchange.

Today, we continue to cooperate with other commissioners, while assisting compatriots living abroad. I have contacted international agencies on over 30 occasions, asking their officials to protect Russian citizens who face problems in life, including Kirill Vyshinsky, now a member of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights, Maria Butina and Alexander Vinnik who, unfortunately, remains in custody, but we are working in this direction. To my mind, this also played a positive role.

With your backing, we have completed the construction of the Human Rights House. Those who have visited this amazing building, including foreign commissioners, the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, and the Ambassador of the European Union to Russia, were surprised to see its facilities for receiving people and for holding videoconferences with any part of Russia, as well as foreign events. This aspect is highly important during the pandemic. Of course, this is a major breakthrough. Mr President, we are inviting you to visit our Human Rights House.



Vladimir Putin:

Thank you.



Tatyana Moskalkova:

It is very important that we ensured the adoption of a law to allow prisoners to be moved closer to where their families live. You supported the drafting of that law as well.

Resocialisation is a vital part of the work of absolutely all agencies, including regional bodies of power, the Federal Penitentiary Service and, of course, human rights commissioners. We are often thanked by the families who no longer have to spend lots of time and money on visiting their relatives in prison camps located far away from them.

I believe that one of the results of this project is increased public trust in public institutions. It is extremely important that the law is being applied consistently in all the constituent entities of Russia.

We convene the Coordinating Council every six months. This year it will certainly be held again in Krasnoyarsk and it will be devoted to resocialisation. It has become more effective. I would like to thank you personally and on behalf of all human rights ombudsmen for your assistance, support and promotion of this unique institution.

Of course, the 2020 performance report was quite unusual, because last year will go down in history not only as the year of the 75th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War and the fundamental reform of the Russian Constitution. We took part in discussing and drafting the amendments and today we are involved in the realisation of the fundamental norms of the Constitution. But this year will be also remembered as the year of the coronavirus pandemic and the battle for human lives.

We did not become confused in the first days when it all began; we regrouped and launched a hotline, holding receptions via videoconference and online, which allowed us to keep working and helping people.



Vladimir Putin:

This probably means a lot more work?





Tatyana Moskalkova:

Last year we received the largest ever number of requests, over 44,000, including over 3,000 via the hotline. The people who addressed us were desperate because they could not return home – the borders were closed. And foreigners in Russia could not return home or extend their work permits.

It is notable that our authorities took unprecedented measures to settle these problems. I had to appeal to the Government many times, to the emergency response centre Ms Golikova chairs and also to Ms Popova, and they always helped me.

Especially difficult problems developed on the labour market: people were forced to work offline, or to take unpaid leave, or to resign. We had to deal with all these problems, which were complex and large-scale.



Vladimir Putin:

These problems persist to this very day in places where they were simply brushed aside as unimportant.



Tatyana Moskalkova:

But today we receive fewer requests regarding employment.



Vladimir Putin:

I was not referring to Russia, but to other countries.



Tatyana Moskalkova:

Yes, quite so. Foreign ombudsmen ask me to share our experience on how we got around these ‘bottlenecks’.



Vladimir Putin:

We have not yet solved all of them, but we did focus on them and worked to solve the most painful ones, thanks to you, among other people.



Tatyana Moskalkova:

Thank you for your support. Based on the experience we accumulated during the pandemic, we believe that the hotline and videoconferences must remain on our set of tools. They are convenient for people and help us to expedite problem resolution.



Vladimir Putin:

Thank you very much. It is a very important tool for direct communication with the people, for support and feedback when it comes to the efficiency of government agencies.

Thank you.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65259






Telephone conversation with Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud



Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud at the Saudi side’s initiative.



April 1, 2021 - 15:40



The parties discussed current issues of Russian-Saudi cooperation. They paid particular attention to the prospects for interaction on global climate change and environmental protection, including green energy. Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud told the Russian President about Saudi Arabia’s recent environmental initiatives aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the Middle East, greening territories, and increasing the share of renewable energy sources. Vladimir Putin noted the relevance of such projects and spoke about Russia's environmental efforts.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65262






Greetings to Alexander Lukashenko on Russia and Belarus Unity Day



Vladimir Putin sent a message of greetings to President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko on the Day of Unity between the Peoples of Russia and Belarus.



April 2, 2021 - 10:00



“A quarter of a century ago, Russia and Belarus signed the Treaty Establishing the Union State, which became the first significant step towards integration between our countries. Over that period, our countries have done a lot to strengthen bilateral ties. The Union State mechanisms ensure a high level of cooperation between Russia and Belarus in political, trade, economic, humanitarian and many other spheres. Moscow and Minsk are coordinating efforts in the international arena, making a significant contribution to ensuring stability and security across Eurasia,” the Russian President said in his message.

Vladimir Putin expressed confidence that Russia and Belarus will continue productive work to develop the entire range of constructive allied relations.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65264






Meeting with Russian Direct Investment Fund CEO Kirill Dmitriev



Vladimir Putin met with CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Kirill Dmitriev.



April 2, 2021 - 13:40 - The Kremlin, Moscow



The discussion focused on the Fund’s current activities, namely, COVID-19 response. Kirill Dmitriev briefed the President on the Fund’s participation in the development of test systems, as well as production and promotion of vaccines and antiviral drugs.







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Mr Dmitriev, the Russian Direct Investment Fund makes a significant contribution to the battle against COVID-19 by manufacturing test systems and promoting vaccines, including on the global market.

But I suggest we begin with your joint activities with the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP). You created a joint fund to promote advanced technologies.



Russian Direct Investment Fund CEO Kirill Dmitriev:

Yes, Mr President, thank you for your support.

It is true, as per your instructions regarding “the fund of funds”, the ten leading entrepreneurs from the RSPP will join us in investing in Russian high-tech companies. This is an important step because it will combine our Fund’s efforts with all RSPP members, not only investors, and will allow funding a larger number of high-tech companies.

As you know, the RDIF already invests a lot in technology, but it is the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs that will also start investing in various venture funds, thus creating many good jobs and, we are sure, promising Russian companies.





Vladimir Putin:

Are our businesses satisfied with the formula that was proposed for such work? You remember, there were discussions about that in the Government. What was the result of these discussions?



Kirill Dmitriev:

Yes, they are perfectly satisfied, and they are happy to co-invest together with the Russian Direct Investment Fund. Each invests one billion rubles of their own funds; the state also invests 10 billion rubles in this fund, and the Direct Investment Fund will also be investing in it. They will bring in many companies that they know well, and will gain access to all of the RDIF technological investments.



Vladimir Putin:

But the question was whether they would be able to take part in outlining research areas and spending.




Kirill Dmitriev:

Yes, of course. They will be on the investment committee and will take part in the decision-making process. It is very important because businesses will help to make investment decisions. As the Russian Direct Investment Fund is based on co-investing, here businesses will also play a decisive role in making such decisions.



Vladimir Putin:

Good.





Kirill Dmitriev:

Thank you.

Let me also brief you on our COVID-19 response efforts.

Mr President, when you created the RDIF, you focused us on many international partnerships. When you instructed us to combat the coronavirus, we used all these international partnerships to make a breakthrough in three main areas: tests, vaccines and drugs.

Our last year’s progress was very good: we made a breakthrough with tests, protecting Russians and Russian companies. These are world-class tests; we supplied over 15 millions of them to 17 countries. And we will announce a new breakthrough soon: our tests are widely used at airports and other places outside of labs. We will also announce the creation of a conveyor robot that can perform 300 tests per hour and does not require highly skilled personnel to operate it. We believe that it would be a key solution not only for Russia, but for other countries as well, to automate the process of testing outside medical labs.

As for the drug, as you know, we registered one of the two…



Vladimir Putin:

Avifavir?



Kirill Dmitriev:

Yes. One of the two anti-COVID drugs. 300,000 of them have already been supplied to Russia, saving tens of thousands of lives. Our production capacities have doubled to 200,000 treatment courses per month. We have already delivered the drug to 30 countries.

Now to the vaccines. As you know, Sputnik V is one of the most effective vaccines in the world: it has over 90 percent efficacy. We offered one of our injections to our other partners whose vaccines have less than 90 percent efficacy to improve their products.

We are actively working with Russian manufacturers: it took us three months to build Sputnik Technopolis, one of the largest plants to produce the vaccine, together with R-Pharm.

We are also setting up international production, just as you told us to do. We have agreements with 10 countries and 20 manufacturers, including the world’s largest producers, and we are already planning to… Firstly, India and South Korea are already producing the vaccine, and many of these enterprises will reach full capacity in April.

Thus, this is truly the greatest achievement of Russian science, which is acknowledged by the entire world, and we are actively implementing this programme, of course, with a focus on vaccinating Russian citizens, but part of the vaccine produced abroad is delivered to foreign markets.





Vladimir Putin:

And it will also delivered to Russia.



Kirill Dmitriev:

Yes, foreign-manufactured Sputnik V can also be delivered to Russia to increase the vaccination rate in the country. According to our assessment, we believe that Russia is not only one of the current leaders in the world in terms of vaccination rate, but we can provide vaccines to all people in Russia who want to be vaccinated before June using the production capacities in Russia and abroad.



Vladimir Putin:

As I understood from talking to experts, this vaccine is effective against all known strains of the virus.



Kirill Dmitriev:

Yes, it is. Due to the two jabs, it is better than the other vaccines as relates to mutations. It was proved in the case with the British strain and a large number of others. Therefore, we believe that our vaccine is one of the best in the world, including against new strains of COVID-19.



Vladimir Putin:

The test systems you mentioned can show all versions of the virus.



Kirill Dmitriev:

Yes, of course.



Vladimir Putin:

They can detect them.



Kirill Dmitriev:

Yes, they can, and it is very important because coronavirus mutations are a huge challenge for humankind. But Russia is ahead, both in terms of tests and vaccines.



Vladimir Putin:

Good.



Kirill Dmitriev:

Thank you very much.



Vladimir Putin:

Thank you.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65269






Telephone conversation with President of Mongolia Khaltmaagiin Battulga



Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of Mongolia Khaltmaagiin Battulga, at the latter’s initiative.



April 2, 2021 - 14:00



In view of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the two leaders discussed topical issues of Russia-Mongolia cooperation. They stressed that in the past years, the traditionally friendly bilateral ties have been developing very successfully and reached the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership.

The two presidents particularly focused on strengthening coordinated efforts to counter the spread of the coronavirus infection, including supplying Russian vaccines to Mongolia.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65270






Telephone conversation with President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko



Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko.



April 2, 2021 - 17:25



Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko exchanged warm congratulations on the occasion of a common holiday – the Day of Unity of the Peoples of Russia and Belarus, and expressed mutual disposition to continue productive joint efforts to further develop the entire range of Russian-Belarusian allied relations.

The two presidents also discussed a number of current issues on the bilateral agenda, including cooperation on the coronavirus response.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65271






Greetings to participants and guests of the 3rd BraVo International Professional Music Awards ceremony



Vladimir Putin sent greetings to the participants and guests of the 3rd BraVo International Professional Music Awards ceremony.



April 2, 2021 - 19:00



The message reads, in part:

“It is wonderful to see that this remarkable project launched in 2018 has earned popularity among pop and classical music performers in Russia and abroad – and, of course, numerous art enthusiasts, music lovers and viewers whose opinion determines the outcome of this award and serves as a convincing criterion of professional success and popularity.

Today, at the world-famous Bolshoi Theatre, we are honouring talented, ambitious and dedicated people, musicians from the CIS, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. I would like to offer my sincere congratulations to the winners of this prestigious award and thank them and the contest organisers for their creative pursuit and innovation, and hefty contribution to modern culture and to the strengthening of international humanitarian ties.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65268
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Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old April 7th, 2021 #206
Alex Him
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Congratulations on Geologists Day



Vladimir Putin congratulated Russian geologists and industry veterans on their professional holiday, Geologists Day.



April 4, 2021 - 09:00



The message reads, in part:

“You have earned the right to take pride in the exciting history of the country’s geology sector and the many generations of your predecessors – people known for their extraordinary endurance who were true heroes and trailblazers. Over the past decades, thanks to a dedicated and selfless commitment to their vocation, large deposits of minerals have been found in the country, and outstanding achievements have been recorded in tapping mineral resources and boosting the industrial, energy and defence potential of the country.

I believe that by preserving and promoting the remarkable traditions of the veterans in this field and introducing advanced technologies on a wide scale, you will continue to work honestly, and effectively accomplish the jobs you are given.”

Geologists Day was established 55 years ago, in 1966, to mark Soviet geologists’ achievements in securing sources of raw materials for the country and is celebrated every year on the first Sunday in April.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65273






Greetings to President of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc



Vladimir Putin congratulated Nguyen Xuan Phuc on his election as President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.



April 5, 2021 - 11:00



The message reads, in part:

“The results of the National Assembly vote testify to the weight and respect that you have earned over the years of serving in high government positions.

Russian-Vietnamese relations are based on long-standing traditions of friendship and mutual respect. I am certain that our joint efforts will ensure the further development of bilateral strategic partnership and mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields. This definitely meets the fundamental interests of the peoples of Russia and Vietnam, and goes in line with strengthening stability and security in the Asia-Pacific region.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65275






Working meeting with Minister of Agriculture Dmitry Patrushev



Vladimir Putin had a working meeting with Minister of Agriculture Dmitry Patrushev, who reported to the President on the ministry’s 2020 performance results and plans for the sector’s development.



April 5, 2021 - 13:30 - The Kremlin, Moscow







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Mr Patrushev, you planned to start with last year’s performance, didn’t you?



Minister of Agriculture Dmitry Patrushev:

Yes, I would like to do that, if I may. I will give a short presentation to outline the sector’s performance in 2020 and plans for this year.

Despite the objective difficulties, the agro-industrial sector was working quite steadily last year, and today we continue implementing the tasks previously set before us. I would like to note that we hold weekly consultations with the regions’ headquarters.

This is what I can report. According to the Federal Service for State Statistics, farms harvested 133.5 million tonnes of grain net in 2020. This is 12 percent more than the five-year average.

Actually, it was the second largest harvest in history, and the farms did quite well. Of course, the weather helped, yet I believe that overall, the work of our farmers was planned quite well.

As for our plans for this season, we continue monitoring the winter crops, which we planted on 19.4 million hectares. Eighty percent of them are in satisfactory condition. This is worse than last year, because we had extremely little rain last autumn, but the situation is improving. I hope we will attain the targets set out in the state programme, weather permitting.

The sowing season has begun in the North Caucasus, the Central and Southern federal districts. The area will be increased by 600,000 hectares this year, with 51.5 million to be cultivated with spring crops. Therefore, as I have already mentioned, we hope to attain the targets of the state programme.

Here is a small problem. Last year, during the pandemic, we managed to make do with our own resources and hardly engaged any foreign workforce. We involved students and people who were unemployed at the moment. This year, we will, however, need foreign workers. In crop farming, we will need around 35,000 people. We are currently dealing with this matter, to make sure that the sowing season goes as planned and later we can manage the harvesting season.

But, considering all the nuances, we will, of course, take into account the epidemiological situation before anything else, in order to keep people safe.



Vladimir Putin:

Why were sugar beet crop areas slightly reduced last year?



Dmitry Patrushev:

Mr President, we harvested a great deal of sugar beets in 2019.



Vladimir Putin:

So it was intentional.



Dmitry Patrushev:

It was intentional because sugar beet production was less cost-effective. Due to the amounts harvested, the cost of sugar beets dropped significantly in 2019. Therefore, we made a decision to reduce the cultivation area. But this year, we will ramp up the volumes so that our domestic production is sufficient and we can meet the domestic demand for sugar beets.

Allow me to say a few words about the second slide. I will start with equipment. The agricultural industry currently uses 938,000 units of equipment. Last year was important; we purchased some 59,000 units and managed to overturn a long-term negative trend – that is, when our agricultural equipment had to be discarded before we could update the fleet. Last year, we managed to reverse this situation. It is expected that in 2021, we will purchase some 62,800 units of equipment. Here I should note, of course, that this is thanks to the extensive scope of support measures and, of course, concessional leasing. Last year, we completed the capitalization of Rosagroleasing, which helped deliver 9,700 units of equipment to our agricultural producers. This is excellent groundwork.

(The Minister then spoke about prices of fuel and mineral fertilisers. He noted that no fertiliser shortages are expected. Dmitry Patrushev also spoke about efforts to utilise unused farmland, which is an important method to increase the commodity weight of agricultural produce in general. Another issue he covered was reducing the wear on irrigation systems.)

The next topic is animal husbandry. Objectively, the pandemic has had quite a drastic impact on this segment, but at the same time, the production of livestock and poultry in 2020 amounted to 15.6 million tonnes; with milk we exceeded the 32 million-tonne mark. The slide shows where we stand in global rankings in the output of livestock products; we are actually moving forward. I would like to note here that in 2021, the livestock farms will target a boost in the production of beef and milk, and we are working hard on this.

Here I cannot help but to mention the epizootic situation. Last year was extremely tense in this regard, and the damage from especially dangerous animal diseases in Russia exceeded 3 billion rubles.

I must say that bird flu outbreaks were raging all over the world in 2020. In France alone, the damage from bird flu exceeded 2.3 billion euros. We have responded appropriately here in Russia to stabilise the situation; the measures taken helped to prevent the most negative scenario. In particular, we supported the farmers who suffered losses from ASF and avian flu, and provided an opportunity for them to roll over their preferential loans.

Nevertheless, the situation concerning avian flu puts a very important issue on the agenda: we need to ensure local production and sufficient capacities here in Russia.

As regards genetics, I will speak about this a bit later, this is a very important component, but it involves a fairly long-term perspective. As a more expeditious decision, the Ministry of Agriculture has formulated proposals for a package of support measures that would make up to 90 percent of parent stock available locally by 2025. Our farmers will be able to produce their own hatching eggs for chicken production – something we mainly buy abroad at present.

The next slide is about the food and processing industry. Growth was recorded for a number of key products in 2020, including semi-finished meat products, butter, sunflower oil, and also cheese. This year, for most products, the production volume will remain at the 2020 level.

At the same time, I would like to mention certain risks. One of them is a significant investment in dairy companies for the purchase of labeling equipment. These costs can subsequently affect the cost of the finished product. For our part, we have proposed a number of measures to support milk processors. The labeling problems have been resolved, and labeling of dairy products will begin as of June 1.

The second risk that we can see is the availability of raw feed for processing enterprises. This primarily concerns, as you correctly noted, sugar beet and sunflowers. As I have said, this year, we plan to expand both sunflower and sugar beet acreage, and we just hope that the weather will allow us to collect a decent harvest.

I would like to point out that the global trend last year was towards an increase of food prices. Of course, this is affecting the affordability of food products. In general, to neutralise this negative effect we have taken additional support measures and customs and tariff regulation measures, about which I will speak a little later on.

What I would like to note is the following. In addition to traditional food products, Russian companies are increasing the output of processed foods. This is quite a positive field, because in the past we turned out mostly plain foods, but now that we can make use of the state support measures we are receiving, we have launched the production of various modified starches, concentrated plant-based proteins and amino acids. These products are being used not only in the agro-industrial sector, but also in the pharmaceuticals, chemical and pulp and paper sectors.

While speaking about this block of subjects, I would like to say a few words about vine growing and wine making. Based on the outcome of last year, a new law has been adopted as per your instructions. This has had a positive effect on this sector. We have stopped nearly entirely the import of base wine. It has been reduced by tens of times, which has boosted wide production in the country. In other words, wine is now made from grapes grown domestically, while wine made from base wine is labelled “wine-based drink,” which is increasing the marketing of domestic wines. It can be said now that up to 60 percent of wines on the shelves of the larger chain stores are Russian-made wines. I am not talking about premium class shops now, but Russian wines account for up to 60 percent and sometimes even more of the wines available in ordinary shops.

Overall, the production index in the agro-industrial sector was 102.5 percent last year. It actually includes the agricultural production index, the food production index and the beverage production index.

I will tell you now about the profitability of our agricultural companies based on preliminary data. We expect it to be approximately at 18 percent together with subsidies, and about 14 percent without subsidies. This is more than the year before. I believe it would be reasonable to…





Vladimir Putin:

That is, compared to 2019?



Dmitry Patrushev:

Yes, I am speaking about the 2020 figures.

The share of unprofitable enterprises is decreasing every year. Generally speaking, it will be 11.5 percent as of last year, due to modernisation efforts and increased transparency. We continue working in 2021 and will try to keep up the pace.

I would like to note that salaries have increased in our sector. In 2018, the average monthly salary in agriculture was 25,500 rubles, and by the end of 2020 it was almost 31,000 rubles. Of course, there is still room for improvement, but there is a positive trend, depending on the region.



Vladimir Putin:

It is 63,000 rubles in Sakhalin, I see.



Dmitry Patrushev:

Yes.

A few words about legislation activity. In 2020, 15 federal laws were adopted, including landmark laws, that is, the law on grain and the law regulating the circulation of pesticides and agrochemicals. I know that you have received a request to regulate this area. I hope that the situation improves as the law has been passed. We will continue this work in 2021.



Vladimir Putin:

Do you mean the law on beekeeping and regulations for agricultural land?



Dmitry Patrushev:

Yes.



Vladimir Putin:

A very important law.



Dmitry Patrushev:

In 2021, we also plan to adopt a law on seed production. This is a very complex law, and it is long overdue. We have been working on it since 1997. As of now, it has been submitted to the State Duma.



Vladimir Putin:

Is this the marking on this slide?



Dmitry Patrushev:

Yes. This is Merkury, our traceability system that is connected to the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s marking system. Advanced traceability systems are being developed; they are also important. But this is a long-term goal, we will keep working on it.

The next slide shows information on food security. In some areas, we have already reached the planned numbers. Nevertheless, hard work is ahead regarding milk and dairy products. Our goal is 90 percent, currently we are at 84.4 percent. But we have been stimulating businesses and providing them with state support, so milk production grows every year.

We did not reach our goal regarding potato self-sufficiency in 2020, which remained at 86 percent against the planned 95 percent. This was because of the pandemic and the weather. We have increased the number of potato farms and we hope the situation will improve.

As for vegetables and cucurbits, we are 87 percent self-sufficient against the goal outlined by the Food Security Doctrine for 2020 of 90 percent. We will take the relevant decisions to reach the goal by 2024.

Work regarding fruit and berries is also underway. As per your instructions, we have developed a roadmap and will reach the planned 60 percent self-sufficiency.



Vladimir Putin:

Today’s level is quite low. You need to plant gardens and help farmers.



Dmitry Patrushev:

Yes, we have been doing all that. In addition, we will provide preferential loans, support the growing of seedlings and will see what can be done in terms of gardens.



Vladimir Putin:

Yes, like seeds, seedlings require special attention.





Dmitry Patrushev:

Yes, we will do that and work on seedlings as part of the Federal Research and Technical Programme for the Development of Agriculture for 2017–2025.

As for seeds, we have not reached the required level of self-sufficiency yet. The goal is 75 percent and the current level is 65 percent. I expect the seed raising law to help develop the domestic market of quality seeds.

The next slide is about agricultural sciences. I will say a few words here about breeding and genetics. Under your instructions, the Federal Science and Technology Programme of agricultural development for 2017–2025 began in 2018. Its goals, frankly, are quite challenging. You met with businesses, and sometimes businesses looked with some incredulity at the programme's capabilities. But the situation is gradually changing. We have had some success in breeding, where two subprogrammes have been approved: for potatoes and for beets. For these crops, for sugar beets, we have our own seeds. Let me emphasise that this work, of course, is entirely being carried out in dialogue with market participants. New domestic varieties and hybrids are in no way inferior to foreign selection products, but on the contrary, they are more suitable for our soil, as well as for our natural and climatic conditions.

In 2021, the subprogrammes for oilseed and viticulture will be completed. The programmes for corn, vegetables and gardening are in the pipeline – just like you said. We will expedite this work and will try to complete it as soon as possible.

As for the development of domestic genetics, the Federal Programme includes a subprogramme to create a cross between meat chickens, approved last year. Also in 2021, subprogrammes will be completed for beef and dairy cattle. This topic is also important; unfortunately, we have not developed it at the proper level yet.

Mr President, a few words about exports, if you permit.

The development of our export potential is of the essence; it is very important to keep our previously gained foothold in foreign markets. Russia’s foreign trade grew almost 20 percent in 2020 and amounted to $30.7 billion. I will note that Russian agricultural exports actually exceeded imports for the first time in 2020. Russia has become a net food exporter. This is a first indeed, as this never happened in the Soviet Union, or later, as far as I know.



Vladimir Putin:

It never happened indeed.



Dmitry Patrushev:

But at the same time, due to stable development and ongoing government support for agriculture, we can consistently move away from just grain exports and strengthen other exports with higher added value. In 2020, a significant increase was achieved in products with high added value. We are developing the export of fish and fish products. We did face objective difficulties in 2020 because of the pandemic – in particular, we had restrictions on the supply of products to China. In this connection, we are now conducting a regular dialogue with our colleagues from China and of course, we have opened alternative routes and sales markets, across Japan and to Korea, respectively.

During the pandemic, we did not stop expanding exports of Russian goods. Last year, we were granted the right to supply 38 types of our produce to 24 new countries. In addition to this (and we believe it is also important), we are expanding the export geography for our niche products. For example, Russian ice cream is exported to 35 countries and Russian honey to 29 countries. The number of such examples is increasing every single year.

I would like to say a few words about supporting exports in the agricultural industry. We understand that the balance between the state and businesses is extremely important. We also understand that during a certain period in 2020, some of the export support measures turned out to be excessive. Mr President, we refined our approaches; however, for the purpose of stabilising the situation on the market, as of January 1, 2021, we suspended partial reimbursement of export-related transport expenses for such products as sugar, potatoes, buckwheat, bottled sunflower oil and grain.



Vladimir Putin:

Exports with a high added value need support.



Dmitry Patrushev:

Yes, we will do it by redirecting support. However, exporters have a reasonably large scope of tools that help them stay on foreign markets.



Vladimir Putin:

Where is our grain mostly used to make flour?





Dmitry Patrushev:

Mr President, we export grain to Turkey where they make flour. Meanwhile, our flour production has slightly declined. We should try focusing on higher added value.

I would now like to say just a few words about state support for the sector. Last year, the Ministry of Agriculture was allocated 312.8 billion rubles, 99.7 percent of which have been spent. I would like to note an extremely important synergy. The state invests substantial funds in this industry on a regular basis, thus maintaining the investment appeal of the agricultural industry. The investment into the agricultural sector in 2020 exceeded 750 billion rubles, which is almost 27 billion rubles more than in 2019. It is expected that in 2021, the amount of investment will increase, if only slightly.

Now, a few words about the key mechanisms of state support. Of course, subsidised loans remain the most popular mechanism. Lending agreements worth over 1 trillion rubles were executed in 2020. This year, the list of areas where subsidised loans can be used has also been extended. I should note here that state-supported insurance of agricultural businesses is developing at a rapid pace. Some 4.4 billion rubles have been allocated for this support mechanism in 2021, or double of what it was in 2020. Essentially, our agricultural producers are slowly adopting a certain financial and insurance culture and starting to insure both their crops and livestock. This is, of course, important because it was not common practice before.

Mr President, there is a slide on support for small businesses. I will be brief. While we allocated 15 percent of state support for farmers to small farms in 2018, the preliminary estimates for 2020 stand at 20 percent of the total volume. At the same time, the share of farms accounts for 14.3 percent of the total volume of agricultural produce.

And, of course, now produce sales remain important for small businesses. The Government has supported the creation of additional opportunities for farmers to sell their produce. Of course, state support for purchasing mobile market stands and transportation required for itinerant trade, which has been available for farmers and cooperatives since the beginning of 2021, will further encourage agricultural sales.



Vladimir Putin:

Loans must also be available for them. There is so much bureaucracy that it is difficult to get to them…



Dmitry Patrushev:

Mr President, we have created a procedure so that they do not have to collect documents in order to get a subsidised loan; it is easier now. And, of course, now we are going to digitalise this so that they will be able to get it online.

I would like to briefly report on the programme for the comprehensive development of rural areas. The slide shows what we have done. A large number of people can really feel the difference, that they are reaching an entirely new standard of living.



Vladimir Putin:

Development of areas?



Dmitry Patrushev:

Yes. This is the comprehensive programme for the development of areas. In general, we receive very positive feedback from the regions. We can see that people in small residential localities, such as villages, are getting advanced, comfortable social and utilities infrastructure.

Of course, Mr President, we should thank you for the opportunity to take such a comprehensive approach to implementing infrastructural social projects in rural areas. This is important. Today, six million people have already have a sense of what this state programme means.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65276






Telephone conversation with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong



Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong.



April 5, 2021 - 14:50



The President of Russia congratulated Nguyen Phu Trong on his re-election to the post of General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and also passed on greetings to Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who assumed power as President of Vietnam today.

The parties reaffirmed their commitment to the further development of the entire range of Russian-Vietnamese relations in line with the Declaration of Strategic Partnership, the 20th anniversary of which will be marked this year. They had an in-depth discussion on cooperation in trade, the economy, energy, research and technology, as well as humanitarian ties. The conversation also covered the outlook of the joint fight against the coronavirus and the deepening of ties between the two countries’ relevant agencies as regards the delivery of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine.

During an exchange of views on current international issues, the parties emphasised their interest in continued close interaction within the framework of multilateral associations, including the UN and as part of the Russia-ASEAN dialogue.

Earlier today, Vladimir Putin sent a message of greetings to Nguyen Xuan Phuc.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65278






Telephone conversation with President of Argentina Alberto Fernandez



Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the Argentine Republic Alberto Fernandez.



April 5, 2021 - 19:15



Vladimir Putin congratulated Alberto Fernandez on his recent birthday and wished him complete recovery as soon as possible.

The President of Argentina thanked Vladimir Putin for his support and noted his confidence in the Russian Sputnik V vaccine that allowed him to have only a mild form of the virus. He praised Russia’s assistance in countering the spread of the coronavirus and expressed interest in further close cooperation, including continued Sputnik V supplies to Argentina.

Both leaders emphasised their desire to develop bilateral ties in various areas.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65312






Greetings on opening of 2nd Forum of Indigenous Peoples of North, Siberia and Russian Far East



Vladimir Putin sent greetings to the participants and guests of the 2nd Forum of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia, and the Russian Far East, which is taking place in Salekhard, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area.



April 6, 2021 - 09:15



The message reads, in part:

“Representatives of some 200 ethnicities have lived in peace and harmony in Russia ever since the ancient times. This unique diversity of customs, traditions and languages is our invaluable common asset, something we cherish and are sincerely proud of. The unique cultures of the peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East certainly have a special place in this bright palette.

Let me underscore that the state invariably gives priority to supporting the indigenous peoples, preserving their natural habitat and economic activities that have developed over centuries, and their customary way of life. It is important that your association is a reliable partner of the federal and regional authorities in addressing these important issues, bringing together energetic, enthusiastic and dedicated people representing a close-knit family of small indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Russian Far East.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65316






Meeting with Russian Railways CEO Oleg Belozerov



Vladimir Putin had a meeting with Russian Railways Chief Executive Officer – Chairman of the Executive Board Oleg Belozerov. The discussion focused on the company’s performance in cargo and passenger operations in 2020 and current operations.



April 6, 2021 - 13:20 - The Kremlin, Moscow







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Mr Belozerov, let us begin with the company’s results in 2020 and then talk about this year’s operations and specifically passenger transportation.



Russian Railways CEO Oleg Belozerov:

Mr President, we have summarised our results and I would like to thank you for your continuous attention and support of the railway industry.

Last year being rather extraordinary, we expected disappointing results; however, the decline in operations was only 2.7 percent while cargo turnover decreased even less, by 2.2 percent.

How did we manage that? First of all, thanks to our best practices and some new solutions. We made 70 targeted decisions on reducing rates, and our cargo shippers saved more than 20 billion rubles.

Secondly, we shifted to digital logistics. Now, almost 80 percent of our document flow is managed electronically. Last year, our customers did not have to visit our offices and could quite easily complete their paperwork remotely.



Vladimir Putin:

So you eliminated the red tape.



Oleg Belozerov:

Yes, we did our best. We can now see remarkable results.

Thirdly, last year we noticed that our multi-purpose approach worked as follows: we used open freight cars to carry sand, coal…



Vladimir Putin:

Can you load them with containers on the way back?



Oleg Belozerov:

We are actually discussing this option. This is a very professional question. My colleagues and I are currently trying to find an answer to it. We do not want to impinge upon our operators, though. Some of them have more open cars while others use more rail platforms. Obviously, this depends on the tariff load.



Vladimir Putin:

They practiced that in the Soviet time. Why move empty cars around?



Oleg Belozerov:

Mr President, we are now discussing this on the Government's platform. I think that we will carry this through. At the same time, the number of containers in transportation has reached a record 5.8 million, this is an absolute record. At the same time, we are now using Flexitanks, liner bags, and open top containers, and we even transported coal in containers last year. I mean, just to imagine a few years back that this is what it would be like…



Vladimir Putin:

Coal in containers?



Oleg Belozerov:

That is right. Open top containers are not closed. Moreover, there are other advantages. Mainly because we cross the border with China, and there is no need to handle, unload, reload into another wagon. You just move the container, and it moves on, this is much more convenient…



Vladimir Putin:

Move to a different track.



Oleg Belozerov:

Yes. It is much more convenient for our colleagues and is much quicker. At the same time, we have met all the targets. The average speed of a container in transit in the Russian Federation is over 1,050 kilometres per day.



Vladimir Putin:

What is the speed per hour?



Oleg Belozerov:

The average section speed is about 43 kilometres per hour – it is a railway term. The values are actually growing, and we are in the top three railways in terms of travel speed. In Europe, for comparison, cargoes travel at 200–250 kilometres per day, but in Russia, 1,050.

Moreover, the volume of transit from China increased by more than 50 percent last year, mainly container transit, because the coronavirus restrictions, as it eventually turned out, and paperless workflow have given an edge to the railway. There was more rail cargo, and we were able to take advantage of this.



Vladimir Putin:

What border crossings do we use?



Oleg Belozerov:

Zabaikalsk, Grodekovo, and Kamyshovaya. We also border on Mongolia, so we have transit through Mongolia. But we mainly rely on our international agreement, the one you have accepted, between Kazakhstan, Russia and Belarus. This covers the main route, the shortest and the fastest, so we carry the bulk of the cargo along that route.

We have posted unique results on the Eastern Polygon. The Russian economy is facing the East more actively, all parameters have been surpassed, the east-bound freight traffic rate has increased by 2.5 percent, and port shipments are up 8.5 percent.

We have also fulfilled your instruction on delivering 53 million tonnes of coal from Kuzbass, and we have accomplished a very difficult task assigned in your Executive Order, that is, transporting 144 million tonnes of all types of consignments via the Eastern Polygon.



Vladimir Putin:

How much did Kuzbass want to ship out?



Oleg Belozerov:

Mr President, your latest instruction, received by us, stipulates a 30 percent increment in 2024. We envisage 53 million tonnes this year, plus five in 2022 and five more in 2023, and we will attain 68 million tonnes or plus 30 percent, as per your instruction.



Vladimir Putin:

How will you accomplish that?



Oleg Belozerov:

First, construction volumes also indicated in the comprehensive infrastructure modernisation plan.



Vladimir Putin:

How much do you need to eliminate the bottlenecks from the Eastern Polygon? What did you decide, in the long run?



Oleg Belozerov:

The second stage requires 720 billion rubles. Considering the first stage, we need 850 billion rubles to complete all this work. We will attain 144 million tonnes this year, as well as 158 million in 2022, 173 million in 2023 and 180 million tonnes in 2024. We have to transport these volumes under your Executive Order.



Vladimir Putin:

You should closely monitor construction prices. I will issue the relevant instruction to the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service, and I am asking you to follow this aspect, too.



Oleg Belozerov:

Thank you very much. We can now see multi-vector aspects, but we are trying to sign and will now sign contracts for the entire cycle. As we can make timely payments, we believe that this is good news for the builders who can arrive, deploy and have a clear idea of …



Vladimir Putin:

Of course, they are confident that payments will be made. These are excellent working conditions.



Oleg Belozerov:

Yes, we will certainly monitor this process.



Vladimir Putin:

Mr Belozerov, that tunnel…



Oleg Belozerov:

Severomuysky.



Vladimir Putin:

Severomuysky. Would it be possible to bypass the tunnel from the west towards the ocean?



Oleg Belozerov:

Mr President, in fact, we are exploring this possibility; what is more optimal: one more tunnel or…



Vladimir Putin:

Either cut it through, or build a bypass.



Oleg Belozerov:

Yes, or a bypass should be built. However, we think that it should be done at the third stage because the indicators that I told you about will only be achieved at the second stage. As for the third one, pursuant to your instruction we are preparing such a programme until 2030 and even 2035, and the work is moving eastward; we see a permanent demand. I suppose that we must ensure about 15 years of active construction work, which is important and needed in the Far East, including the construction of tunnels. It is the Baikal–Amur Mainline that will give …



Vladimir Putin:

Or a bypass?



Oleg Belozerov:

Either a tunnel or a bypass. Yes, it is the Baikal–Amur Mainline that can give now the biggest increase in freight traffic from the West to the East.



Vladimir Putin:

Yakutia should not be overlooked, because they do not even need a tunnel there and they are closer to the ocean as well.



Oleg Belozerov:

Mr President, as soon as your instruction was issued with regard to Yakutia, we had a discussion with the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic, and we had a discussion at the governmental level, with the Prime Minister. The amount of cargo grew significantly after the discussions, consignors want to transport cargoes and develop more actively.

We are going to draw up a special programme on the development of the Yakutian [coal] cluster by September 1 in order to send it to the nearest ports, including Vanino, and possibly to Primorye Territory.



Vladimir Putin:

I ask you to work closely with the business community and consignors, and with heads of the regions: Kuzbass, Kemerovo and Yakutia. Because all of these regional heads contact me all the time. Naturally, they need to make plans, including those in the social sphere.





Oleg Belozerov:

Mr President, we will try to meet the demand in full now, working in close contact, including by drafting special regulations and increase the throughput capacities, so that the Government can regulate access to the infrastructure in different regions by setting the right priorities. We are working on this now and, I am sure, we will carry it through.



Vladimir Putin:

Yes, I spoke about the construction projects with Deputy Prime Minister Khusnullin. And you are the customer there, aren’t you?



Oleg Belozerov:

Yes.



Vladimir Putin:

I ask you to organise this work in due manner, so that the auctions for the land plots are conducted at a good, professional, market level and the best contractors, which offer the best projects in terms of quality, construction time and price, are selected.



Oleg Belozerov:

We are doing this work additionally together with the Government and Mr Khusnullin, in order to create a mechanism involving both the regions and a large number of departments to be able to address all issues quickly.



Vladimir Putin:

They also have their own companies there, construction companies, and they should also be involved.



Oleg Belozerov:

Yes. In doing this we expect the scope to be much greater and the local companies will participate too. Moreover, in a longer-term perspective it will be a good job for them. We believe there will be an opportunity to expand the scope of construction.



Vladimir Putin:

Good.



Oleg Belozerov:

Mr President, the biggest problem we encountered last year, as you have said correctly, concerned the operation of the passenger segment. It was probably one of the most difficult years for railways; traffic plunged four-fold in April and May.



Vladimir Putin:

Of course, people stopped travelling.



Oleg Belozerov:

Exactly. Last year, we transported 872 million people, a decline of 27 percent compared to 2019. But we did not waste time. We cooperated with railway carriage producers, buying a record large number of carriages, over 1,000, or more precisely 1,050 rail cars.



Vladimir Putin:

Who is your main supplier?



Oleg Belozerov:

It is first of all the Tver Carriage Works (TVZ). We have renovated our unique train route from Moscow to Vladivostok. It has 210 new carriages now.



Vladimir Putin:

[First Deputy Prime Minister] Belousov told me about the performance of the Tver Works during our recent meeting.



Oleg Belozerov:

Very good. Moreover, we are presenting a new line of carriages every year. This has become a tradition, and the past year was no exception in this sense.



Vladimir Putin:

The quality is improving. These modern carriages are more comfortable for passengers.



Oleg Belozerov:

Quite so. Moreover, Mr President, we have held talks with our French colleagues, who visited Russia and asked us to take them to the Tver Carriage Works because they are resuming night trains. Their priority was previously high-speed day trains, but now they are resuming night trains, and the Tver producers have a clear advantage in this field.



Vladimir Putin:

Let them buy such trains from us.



Oleg Belozerov:

Yes, we are discussing the matter now.

At the same time, last year, we completely renovated the rolling stock on Sakhalin. We have changed the gauge, as I have already reported to you, and the new carriages are all domestically manufactured.

We did not waste time last year: we launched 20 new commuter routes. And we also paid attention to passenger services, including at train stations, so that now we offer new services.

We paid particular attention to the services for mobility impaired people. Over 1,500 facilities have been equipped to provide such services now. This year we plan to complete this system-wide project, which includes over 900 facilities, including railway stations, as well as 8,000 station stops.

Railway tourism is developing rapidly. The daily steam locomotive service between Sortavala and Ruskeala Park received an award last year. We arranged direct services from Moscow and St Petersburg, which are extremely popular.

In winter, we offered skiers special multimodal services. They could buy a single ticket for two modes of transport and pay special fares.



Vladimir Putin:

Are those north-bound trips?



Oleg Belozerov:

They run all over the country, Mr President. There is the Majestic North (a five-day trip), services to Karelia, Arkhangelsk, Vologda Region, Sheregesh (Kuzbass), the Khibiny Mountains, Khvalynsk (Saratov Region), Abzakovo (Bashkortostan), etc. New tourist trains on weekends (three days) are also available and hugely popular. We are committed to providing great service.

The year 2020 was unique in terms of investment. Thank you so much for supporting the financial mechanism of issuing perpetual bonds. We invested 717 billion rubles under the investment programme.





Vladimir Putin:

It was the Finance Ministry that supported you.



Oleg Belozerov:

Thank you very much. It is the biggest investment programme since the company was founded. We purchased 570 locomotives and 373 multiple-unit trains. We built 417 km of new rail tracks and completed a record amount of construction work. All these funds came back to the economy as we both supported labour teams and upgraded our own resources. So thank you very much.

As far as operations go, we have accomplished outstanding results in terms of reliability and cargo delivery. More than 99 percent of cargo orders were delivered on time. We also exceeded the safety index by 15 percent against the planned figure. I would like to stress once again that Russian Railways is the safest railway in the world.



Vladimir Putin:

I have a follow-up question: what was the amount of rail tracks, in percentage terms, that required maintenance in 2018 or, say, 2019?



Oleg Belozerov:

Around 20–25 percent. In kilometres, that would be 24,000 km in 2019 and 23,900 km in 2020. We reduced the length of outdated tracks.

However, there are still tracks that require maintenance so we have made certain transformations. What does that mean? We have tracks for different traffic density: class one, two, three and four. Maintenance of the first and second class tracks with the highest traffic density is our priority. These are our mainline railways. For classes three and four, we are developing new service mechanisms and also performing maintenance.

The amount of outdated tracks will increase according to the 2021 investment programme because we are allocating significant funds for construction. We were also instructed to review the revenue under the programme by May and make sure we prevent an increase in the amount of outdated tracks – or even reduce it. I think by May we will prepare respective proposals and submit them to the Government in order to reduce the wear and tear.



Vladimir Putin:

This is a very important matter, and it is directly related to safety. The target figures need to be achieved of course, not by revising various standards of repairs, but by improving quality. Do you understand what I am talking about?



Oleg Belozerov:

Mr President, this is exactly what we are doing.



Vladimir Putin:

We can move these deadlines indefinitely. You need to approach this very carefully.



Oleg Belozerov:

You are absolutely right. We are not moving any deadlines, but we are changing technologies.

First, new materials are now available. We have already requested our manufacturers, for example, those that supply rails. Previously, the warranty period was 700 million tonnes per gross kilometer; now it is 1.4 billion. So we asked them to make it 2.1 billion – tracks will require fewer replacements, and not so often, because repairs definitely jam the infrastructure and we simply cannot move the goods through.

We are very scrupulous about and attentive to safety matters. We have revised each of the elements – I have just cited rails as an example, but there are also fasteners and sleepers – we just revised this infrastructure life cycle specifically to accommodate the new technologies. Five or six years ago, other technologies were used, and today, we are moving forward. We are reducing delays not through redistribution, but through the use of new technologies and new materials that are clearly certified.



Vladimir Putin:

Mr Belozerov, you and I perfectly understand and bear in mind, especially you as the head of one of our backbone companies, how important this industry is for Russia. This is not just a company, but a whole industry, and how vital it is for Russia and its economy.

Overall, despite the difficulties we faced last year, the company met its tasks and addressed the problems it encountered, went through the difficulties, and emerged unscathed. I would like to thank you for this. I hope that all the sensitive issues that we have been dealing with in recent months will be carefully considered further on, and all the company's development plans will be implemented in accordance with the agreements reached at the government level.



Oleg Belozerov:

Mr President, I would like to assure you that Russian Railways will fulfill all the plans in a timely manner.



Vladimir Putin:

Thank you.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65315






Telephone conversation with President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro



Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the Federative Republic of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro at the initiative of the Brazilian side.



April 6, 2021 - 21:25



The presidents discussed the prospects for developing bilateral relations. They reaffirmed their desire to conduct active cooperation in the format of Russian-Brazilian partnership and expressed mutual interest in a consistent buildup of trade and economic ties.

The two leaders discussed various aspects of practical cooperation in countering the spread of the coronavirus, including the registration of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine in Brazil, and organising supplies and production of the vaccine in Brazil.

Vladimir Putin and Jair Bolsonaro emphasised their intention to continue their personal contacts on the above issues.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65318
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Greetings on the opening of the 12th Congress of Oncologists and Radiologists of CIS and Eurasia



Vladimir Putin sent greetings to the participants and organisers of the 12th Congress of Oncologists and Radiologists of the CIS and Eurasia countries, marking the 25th anniversary of the Association of Directors of Centres and Institutes of Oncology and Radiology of the CIS and Eurasia countries.



April 7, 2021 - 09:00



The message reads, in part:

“Prominent scientist Nikolai Trapeznikov was one of the originators of the Association. His talent, energy and extremely high level of competence were a large factor in the attainment of impressive successes in the prevention of oncological diseases, ensuring their early diagnosis and treatment and in the introduction in clinical practice of advanced technologies and inventions. And, of course, Academy Member Trapeznikov played a major role in consolidating the medical community around important high-priority goals. It is gratifying that the Association, established by him, now unites specialists from various countries.

I am pleased to note that the current generation of oncologists and healthcare organisers cherish and expand the immensely rich academic and creative legacy of their mentor and accomplish challenging tasks in a worthy manner. This also happened in 2020 when Russia and the entire world faced new global challenges. One can confidently say that the national oncology service has successfully passed serious trials, linked with the coronavirus epidemic, and is now doing a lot to provide more effective medical treatment.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65320






Vladislav Khovalyg appointed Acting Head of the Republic of Tuva



The President signed Executive Order On Early Termination of Mandate of the Head of the Republic of Tuva.



April 7, 2021 - 15:35



Following the request by Head of the Republic of Tuva Sholban Kara-ool for an early termination of his mandate, the President resolved to accept his resignation.

The President also resolved to appoint Vladislav Khovalyg Acting Head of the Republic of Tuva until an elected Head of the Republic assumes office.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65322






Meeting with Vladislav Khovalyg



Vladimir Putin had a working meeting with Vladislav Khovalyg, via videoconference, and announced his decision to appoint him Acting Head of the Republic of Tuva.



April 7, 2021 - 15:35 - The Kremlin, Moscow







Vladimir Putin noted that Vladislav Khovalyg’s entire work activity was connected with the Republic and asked him to describe how he saw the main problems that must be addressed in the region first of all.

Vladislav Khovalyg said the implementation of the recently adopted individual plan for the socioeconomic development of the Republic of Tuva was the main area of focus, including the development of the industries that provide the most employment for the local population, such as light industry and processing of agricultural raw materials.





Among the problems Vladislav Khovalyg listed energy deficit, high electricity tariffs, high coal prices, environmental problems in the capital of the Republic, and the outflow of rural population to cities. He added that he needed 7–10 days to familiarise himself with the current situation in the Republic and then report on it more specifically and accurately.

Vladimir Putin noted that Vladislav Khovalyg was an experienced person who has been working in the power sector in recent years and that he will cope with the new volume of work. The President noted that there were a lot of matters to address in the Republic, wished Mr Khovalyg success and promised support.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65323






Meeting with Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan



Vladimir Putin received Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan in the Kremlin.



April 7, 2021 - 18:45 - The Kremlin, Moscow






President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Mr Pashinyan,

I am very pleased to see you and to receive you in Moscow again.

I am grateful to you for accepting the invitation, because, of course, we have things to talk about in terms of building bilateral relations and, needless to say, we need to discuss the most pressing problem which is normalising the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and related matters.

I am not going to list all the things that go into bilateral relations, or talk about the degree of depth of our relations, which are of a truly strategic nature. I will not list the international platforms on which we cooperate, either. Still, I believe it is important to mention that 40 percent of all capital investment in the Armenian economy comes from Russia.

Our trade numbers are quite impressive. However, for various reasons, but, primarily, of course, because of the coronavirus pandemic, we have seen a slight decline over the past year. I am confident that in the very near future we will not only rebuild our trade to its previous volume, but even expand it.

I see that the Intergovernmental Commission, which you and I have established, is working energetically on both sides. You have taken bold action to support its activities, and Deputy Prime Minister [Alexei] Overchuk regularly goes to Yerevan. Quite recently you received him, and he reported to you on how we see the dynamics of interaction in the region with the post-war situation in mind. You and I have discussed this issue many times.

Of course, the possibility of restoring trade and economic ties as well as transport routes in the region, so that Armenia can enjoy more opportunities for growth is the most important matter. I believe this is crucial.

I hope that today, during our conversation here and then at a working lunch, we will have the chance to discuss with you all these matters, as well as others stemming from the current situation and involving prospects for future development.





Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan:

Mr President,

I am very pleased to see you.

To begin with, let me thank you for inviting me to come to Moscow. Of course, we remain in constant contact, but meetings like this are important in order to compare notes, as they say.

We have agreed to cover a fairly large number of issues today, including matters of strategic importance.

First, I would like to note that the presence of the Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh is the most critical stability and security factor in the region. I hope to discuss your views on the security system architecture in Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent areas, in Armenia and in our region in general today.

I hope we will discuss details of the Russian-Armenian joint group of forces’ activities. We operate a joint regional air defence system, and there are some aspects to it that I hope we will be able to clarify today.

Once again, I want to note your personal contribution to the stabilising effort in our region, especially after the war and after the President of Azerbaijan, you and I signed a joint statement.

Notably, there is a critical issue in this context that has not been settled so far. I am talking about prisoners of war, hostages and other detainees. In accordance with the November 9 statement, which we have discussed on many occasions, all hostages, prisoners of war and other detainees must be repatriated. Unfortunately, some of our people are still being detained in Azerbaijan. I am very glad that we have no differences regarding ways to resolve this issue.

It is also important to discuss our viewpoints on ways to overcome the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, because, unfortunately, it is still there, and we must also discuss it and our views about the future.

And, of course, as you have already said, the issues of economic cooperation are very important for us. I hope we will review today some issues linked with strategic investment. In this context, I would like to discuss with you an opportunity to build a new nuclear power plant in the Republic of Armenia.

We have been very closely cooperating on countering the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, we will receive the first batch of the Russian vaccine tomorrow. This first batch is a symbolic consignment but we hope to purchase large amounts of the Russian vaccine because it has proved its efficiency in practice and it is very important for us to have an opportunity to get this vaccine for the Republic of Armenia.

Of course, we have a broad range of issues to discuss. I hope and I am sure that we will have very productive talks today.





Vladimir Putin:

Naturally, we will discuss all these issues in the minutest detail, and will be attentive to all questions that you consider necessary to discuss, including, of course, the vaccine. Have you already registered it?



Nikol Pashinyan:

Yes, tomorrow the first batch will arrive in Armenia. True, there will be only 15,000 doses whereas we need more than a million. I understand that the demand for the vaccine is now very high in Russia, too.



Vladimir Putin:

We are building up its production and plan to produce large amounts of this medication. So, I think we will resolve this problem.



Nikol Pashinyan:

Thank you.



Vladimir Putin:

This will not be to the detriment of Russian citizens, Russian consumers. The scale of our production meets the domestic demand because not everyone wants to be vaccinated right away. As the vaccination campaign runs on, more and more people are willing to go for it. The scale of production generally matches the number of people who want to get the vaccine. The supply even slightly exceeds the demand but the scale of production is also growing, so we will discuss this issue.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65324






Telephone conversation with Federal Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel



Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Angela Merkel.



April 8, 2021 - 14:30



The two leaders had a detailed discussion on a number of topical international matters.

While exchanging opinions on ways of resolving the intra-Ukrainian crisis, the Russian President and the German Chancellor voiced concern in connection with the escalation of tensions in southeastern Ukraine. Vladimir Putin drew attention to the provocative actions of Kiev which is now deliberately aggravating the situation along the line of contact. The parties noted the need for the Kiev authorities to implement earlier agreements without fail, in particular those aimed at the launch of direct dialogue with Donetsk and Lugansk and at legally formalising the special status of Donbass.

They urged the parties to the conflict to display restraint and to invigorate the negotiating process in order to fully implement the 2015 Minsk Package of Measures as the only legal foundation for a peace settlement. They reaffirmed their commitment to further close coordination of Russian and German efforts, including within the Normandy Format, between political advisers and foreign ministers.

Mr Putin and Ms Merkel continued to exchange opinions on the subject of Syria and noted the high priority of tasks to improve the humanitarian situation in Syria. The Russian party underscored the unacceptability of politicising issues as regards the provision of foreign assistance to the people of Syria, the restoration of the socioeconomic infrastructure and the return of refugees.

While discussing the situation in Libya, both leaders praised the establishment of interim national institutions of state authority in the country. They voiced readiness to help normalise the domestic situation and to facilitate Libya’s peaceful development. They agreed to continue coordinating their efforts in this direction.

The two leaders touched upon the situation in the Balkans and noted the importance of further well-coordinated steps to ensure stability and inter-ethnic accord, including with due consideration for the decisions of the Steering Committee of the Council to fulfil the 1995 General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, or the Dayton Agreement.

In connection with the interest displayed by the Federal Chancellor, the situation regarding Alexei Navalny was touched upon.

At Vladimir Putin’s initiative, certain matters regarding the activities of foreign media outlets and NGOs in both countries were reviewed.

It was agreed to maintain close working contacts through various channels.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65325






Meeting on the results of implementing Presidential addresses to the Federal Assembly



Vladimir Putin held a meeting, via videoconference, with Government leadership to discuss the implementation of the 2019 and 2020 Presidential addresses to the Federal Assembly.



April 8, 2021 - 15:45 - The Kremlin, Moscow



The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Anton Vaino, First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov, First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Sergei Kiriyenko, deputy prime ministers Yury Borisov, Tatyana Golikova, Alexander Novak, Alexei Overchuk, Marat Khusnullin, Dmitry Chernyshenko, Deputy Prime Minister – Chief of the Government Staff Dmitry Grigorenko, Deputy Prime Minister – Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District Yury Trutnev, Aide to the President Maxim Oreshkin, Aide to the President – Head of the Presidential Control Directorate Dmitry Shalkov, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Alexander Kozlov, Minister of Labour and Social Protection Anton Kotyakov, Minister of Education Sergei Kravtsov, Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov, Minister of Healthcare Mikhail Murashko, Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov, Minister of Finance Anton Siluanov, Minister of Construction, Housing and Utilities Irek Fayzullin, Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov, Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media Maksut Shadayev, Chairman of the Accounts Chamber Alexei Kudrin, Governor of the Central Bank Elvira Nabiullina, and Head of the Russian Popular Front Executive Committee Mikhail Kuznetsov.






President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon, colleagues.

Let’s start.

As you know, on April 21, I will deliver the annual Address to the Federal Assembly. Together with some of our colleagues, including Mr Mishustin, his deputies, several ministers and the Presidential Executive Office, we are already working on this document.

This document traditionally outlines strategic guidelines for our country’s socioeconomic development, and priority tasks that require a concerted effort on the part of federal government bodies and regional and local governance teams.

I should stress that it is the systemic approach and consistency of our goals that are important, along with continuous fine-tuning of the mechanisms and tools which are at our disposal and which we create together for our joint work.

Today I suggest discussing the practical results of implementing the Presidential addresses to the Federal Assembly of the past two years, and trying to draw a line, to analyse how the instructions given on the basis of those addresses are being carried out.

I would like to remind you that we are speaking here about such important and significant initiatives such as support for Russian families, including new benefits for children under the age of three and under seven, and increasing the affordability of housing through special mortgage programmes for families with children.

Furthermore, new decisions were also made on the digitalisation of healthcare, on the provision of subsidised medicines (this highly sensitive and painful topic makes its way onto our agenda from year to year); an instruction was given to connect Russian schools to high-speed internet and to provide free access to domestic electronic services.

Finally, measures were proposed to stimulate business and investment activities. I am referring to the reform of the control and supervision activities that we started and the initiative to clear the Russian legislation from outdated norms and requirements in many sectors.

In these fields, specific targets were set by Presidential addresses of the previous years, and first of all, I would like to discuss how their implementation is progressing, and I would like to draw your attention to the following.

First of all, we need to assess what qualitative changes in people's lives our work has entailed; what effect it has had on the development of regions, cities, and districts, and for the economy and the social sphere.





I think I have no need to explain why this is important. If an initiative enjoys popular support and yields tangible results for citizens, for businesses, and for the Russian regions, we need to think about extending and expanding it, consider ways to augment its scale and coverage.

For example, as was the case with the extension of the maternity capital programme – families now become eligible for this benefit at the birth of their first child, and the amount of maternity capital has been significantly increased.

If our practice, life itself shows that the effect from the suggested decisions is limited, let us adjust what we have been doing until now and make our mechanisms more precise and more targeted; let us increase the efficiency of the measures we are taking and the funds we are investing in resolving various tasks.

The second point is this. We must acknowledge honestly and bluntly what we have failed to achieve so far, where our efforts are still stalled and where we continue to face difficulties. I am referring to the rates at which some regions are creating places in nurseries (this is just an example), the start of payments to reimburse the regions for investment deductions, support for individual housing construction, and the trials of promising technology in the so-called “digital sandboxes” with experimental legal rules and regulations.

Taking into account the objective picture, we must adjust the actions that are not effective enough or suggest a different, more effective solution to a problem. This is exactly what our people, citizens of Russia expect from us.

Let me repeat that our work must be systematic and consistent. We must always analyse the reasons behind mishaps and even failures to prevent them in the future both in planning and in resolving our tasks.

I hope to hear today detailed reports by Government members, including deputy prime ministers, on implementing these addresses. I would like you to focus on the social and investment areas, as well as on the development of the digital technology and the housing market. These topics remain very important and sensitive for our people up to this very day.

I would like to emphasise again that this detailed analysis of the work done is a very important stage in preparing this year’s Address. This is so because without a serious analysis of what we have done to resolve the tasks facing the country and how we will certainly be unable to plan properly what we must do in the near future and in a more remote perspective.

Let us get down to work.


<…>





Vladimir Putin:

Colleagues,

Of course, this work is ongoing, it is being conducted and is not useless. On the contrary, it is generally positive and even productive in some areas.

At the same time, and you know this well yourselves since we are discussing it during current events, that there are problems with it. Many of you have mentioned this yourselves, and you were straight about it, but I will still talk about a number of issues that I think were not mentioned here, and I will also repeat some things.

Well, let’s start with social issues. Indeed, as for creating more places in nurseries, some funds were diverted from this plan – up to 10 percent, I think – due to COVID-19 and the efforts to counter this wretched virus. So, we took some of this money for other things, but not too much, just 10 percent.

We planned to build new capacity for 190,000 places but built 155,400 – indeed, the difference does not seem too big. However, according to the Ministry of Education, at this point the queue for kindergartens has been eliminated in 28 regions. This is not yet the case in other regions but general availability is high – 92.1 percent and must reach 98.4 percent by the end of the year.

In this context, I would like to draw your attention to the procedures and the costs. Yes, the programme was missing 10 percent from the federal budget for this purpose but if the funds had been spent efficiently, I think the entire programme would have been carried out.

Look here: one place in a nursery, the minimal one amounts to 835,400 rubles. This is in the Volgograd Region. Meanwhile, in the Udmurt Republic the figure is 1.577 million. Look here, where is Volgograd and where is Udmurtia? These regions are not far from each other. I would say they are very close to each other, so it is strange that there is such a difference.

We need to look at this in detail; I will ask the Government to focus on this and take special control of the rates at which the regions are putting into operation additional places in kindergartens, the order of these procedures and the costs. Many regions hold tenders with just one participant; this could explain cost disparity. Please, look into this issue more carefully and in more detail.

There are other problems concerning primary healthcare and sanitary services. The plan was to provide, by the end of 2020, all localities with a population of 100 to 2,000 people with access to primary healthcare by opening new and replacing unfit for use rural medical assistance centres, paramedic centres, outpatient clinics, and mobile medical units.

As of January 10, about 20 percent of primary healthcare facilities had not been completed on time; 23 regions of the Russian Federation have not completed the implementation of this programme. The purchase of mobile medical units has not been completed either: 985 were delivered in 2019–2020, while the plan was for 1,000. The difference might seem small, but it is there, and this is about people, it affects their lives, and access to medical care.

The plan to provide medical workers in rural areas and small towns with service housing has not been implemented. We need to enhance support measures that involve building family-type residential hotels using preferential ‘rural’ mortgages, and other such measures. We should focus more on this, because the level and quality of medical care in rural areas and in small towns depends on it, so I am asking you to pay special attention to this.

Ms Golikova mentioned the newly-created fund, The Circle of Kindness. This is indeed a very sensitive issue. We plan to allocate 60 billion this year by increasing the tax burden on certain segments of the population. But, as far as I understand, 10 billion has already been allocated, and of course, we need to ensure the implementation of all these plans. As far as I understand, they have collected applications for 983 children.

Ms Golikova, please make sure the relevant government and regional agencies complete all the plans with due diligence and in a timely manner, and that the amount of funds that we have earmarked actually reaches this fund.





Next, we have – or we are creating – the Federal Register of persons entitled to subsidised medicines, medical devices and specialised medical nutrition. This project has to be carried through, and this register needs to really start working – not formally, but in real life. The expected time frame is by the end of the year, and I am asking you to keep this under control and see that it is not delayed.

Now about investment activities. Mr Belousov said it was necessary to introduce certain requirements for the regions to implement our plans on investment tax deduction, or to be more precise, on reimbursing this tax deduction. Yes, this is the way to go. You told me about this, I remember and I agree with your proposals. They are correct. I would just ask you not to expect the regions to do everything – it is necessary to help them do this, to fulfil the requirements of the Government, or else it will simply be hanging in the air and that will be it. Obviously, you understand this. It is necessary to support them, let us put it delicately.

Now about the law on protecting and encouraging investment in the Russian Federation and on creating certain conditions under which our companies will join the work under the law. In accordance with this law, from April 2, 2021, agreements must be concluded in the e-format with the use of the Capital Investment state system. However, our companies have not yet switched to this format and this platform but, of course, it is necessary to see this through to the end.

Now about the connection of general education institutions to high-speed internet. I think, judging by what we have already done, it is quite possible to complete this task by the end of 2021. Over 10,700 schools are waiting to be connected. In all, 15,600 have already been switched to high-speed internet. So it is fairly possible to complete this work by the end of the year.

I would like to draw your attention to one point. There are few schools – just 1.2 percent – that have no internet connection at all. This is what I want to emphasise and I want to involve you in this work: 22 percent of schools pay twice the national average for an internet connection, while six percent of schools pay three times the average in Russia. It is necessary to figure this out and put things in order. I would like to ask you to do this as soon as possible. Clearly, there may be some objective reasons for this difference but if so, we must help the regions, and provide them with some support in this context.

With regard to the mechanism for using experimental legal regimes when developing and introducing innovative technology, there are issues stemming from entry into force of the Law On Experimental Legal Regimes in the Sphere of Digital Innovation dated January 28, 2021. Industry-specific legislation must also be amended, and I want the Government and the State Duma to focus on this and complete this work during the spring session, otherwise it will drag out until the end of the year.

Now, about providing users with access to free domestic socially significant online services. Unfortunately, it has not been legally formalised that these services be offered by carrier operators free of charge. This also must be done by the State Duma and also during the spring session, otherwise it will get pushed back to the end of the year.

Another issue is processing of personal data. I will not go deep into this subject now, but it is sensitive. The Government keeps working on it, and this effort must be seen through to the end. Please do so as soon as possible as well.

Now, let’s move on to such sensitive issue as housing policy. Indeed, lower mortgage interest rates, a little over 6 percent, have played a significant role. Mr Khusnullin mentioned a trillion-plus rubles that were immediately made available as mortgage loans, and it worked. However, you yourself pointed it out – we have a continuing discussion about this at our meetings – there is a problem with rising prices.

This is not just a price hike, but a major increase. On average, prices in Russia increased by 12 percent, but the largest increases were seen in North Ossetia, where prices grew by 30 percent, the Orel Region 19.7 percent, Adygea 19.3 percent, the Amur Region 18.6 percent and the Ryazan Region 17.6 percent. It’s understandable when we see prices in the Far East shoot up – I won’t explain, you know it all yourselves. But why is this happening in European Russia? Up 30 percent, up 20 percent up… Mr Khusnullin has a point, and we covered this as well. It is imperative to create additional supply primarily in the housing construction market. We need to look at this problem from the perspective of the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service and see what is going on there.

Overall, I would like to thank you for what has been done under the previous addresses, and I very much count on your help and support during the final stage of preparations for this year's Address to the Federal Assembly.

Thank you very much. All the best.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65326






Alexei Russkikh appointed Acting Governor of Ulyanovsk Region



The President signed Executive Order On Early Termination of Mandate of the Ulyanovsk Region Governor.



April 8, 2021 - 17:50



Following the request by Governor of the Ulyanovsk Region Sergei Morozov for an early termination of his mandate, the President resolved to accept his resignation.

The President also resolved to appoint Alexei Russkikh Acting Governor of the Ulyanovsk Region until an elected governor takes office.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65328






Meeting with Alexei Russkikh



Vladimir Putin had a meeting, via videoconference, with Alexei Russkikh who was appointed Acting Governor of the Ulyanovsk Region.



April 8, 2021 - 18:10 - The Kremlin, Moscow







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Mr Russkikh, good afternoon.



Alexei Russkikh:

Good afternoon, Mr President.



Vladimir Putin:

Hello!

Mr Russkikh, I see you are from Izhevsk, is that right?



Alexei Russkikh:

Exactly.





Vladimir Putin:

Geographically, it is very close to the Ulyanovsk Region, so I think you generally know the region.

You are still dealing with economic policy in government agencies.

Mr Russkikh, what are, in your view, the peculiarities of the region’s development in general? I mean, the Ulyanovsk Region. Obviously, you have learned about the situation there. I also think you can tell me about your vision of the region’s future partly because you work in the Federation Council now. What needs to be done and how? What areas do you consider a priority and how would you achieve the region’s goals today?



Alexei Ruskikh:

The Ulyanovsk Region is the centre of Russia. It has vast industrial, agricultural and research potential. Its main wealth is its residents. They are very industrious, patriotic and warm-hearted.

The administration has recently accomplished a lot: it has preserved an auto plant and an aircraft-building plant. It has attracted much investment. Actually, huge work has been done, and we will follow in these footsteps.

I think the main yardstick for the performance of a governor is the wellbeing of the people, the living standards. Of course, this is an uphill road. Thankfully, we have the energy for this, my team and me. I believe we will justify your trust.





Vladimir Putin:

Mr Russkikh, you talked about your willingness and your team’s willingness to work hard. At the same time, you said that the outgoing governor, who was there for a long time, did much for the region’s development. This is indeed the case.

Of course, there are problems everywhere, and in the Ulyanovsk Region as well. However, much has been done, too. Credit for this goes not only to the governor but also to the people who worked with him. Therefore, I would like to ask you to act with care and respect with regard to the people you will now meet and start your work with.

From my point of view, I hope there will be some continuity in the administration’s personnel, that you will keep the backbone, the potential that’s there. In this way, you will be able to rely on those who know the situation in the region and who have achieved good results over the past few years. At the same time, new personnel can also help you resolve the tasks facing the region from a fresh perspective.

This is indeed a key region. It is large and industrially advanced. You mentioned the car manufacturing. They have well developed clusters there created in conjunction with our foreign partners. I will not go into detail now but this work is going well there.

I would like to wish success to you and all those who will be working on your team. I hope we will see this success. You should get started immediately, without delay. Based on your previous experience I hope you will have a quick start.

I wish you success.



Alexei Ruskikh:

Thank you very much.



Vladimir Putin:

All the best.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65329






Telephone conversation with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev



Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.



April 8, 2021 - 18:20



The parties continued to discuss the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh and its further stabilisation in accordance with the Statements by the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia of November 9, 2020 and January 11, 2021. In particular, the two presidents had a detailed discussion on how to ensure peace, security and progressive socioeconomic development in the region as well as progress with the work to restore transport links. They also took into account the results of the Russian-Armenian summit talks held in Moscow on April 7.

It was agreed to maintain contacts in various formats.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65330
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Meeting with Sergei Menyailo



Vladimir Putin held a working meeting with Sergei Menyailo via videoconference. During the meeting, the President told him about his decision to appoint him Acting Head of the North Ossetia-Alania Republic.



April 9, 2021 - 14:50 - The Kremlin, Moscow







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Mr Menyailo, the topic of our current conversation and meeting is clear. I do not have any special questions for you because I already know almost everything. I know your biography, your work and service. In fact, I have only one question: are you ready for the suggested position? Do you want it personally?



Sergei Menyailo:

Mr President, I am ready for work. You know by now I am always ready to fulfil the tasks you set. Thank you for your trust. I will try to do all I can to justify it.



Vladimir Putin:

You are no stranger to the republic. In fact, it is your homeland. What are your priority tasks?



Sergei Menyailo:

Mr President, probably like all of us, I have never lost touch with my homeland. Therefore, I know the situation in the republic, the condition it is in, the potential that it certainly has and the problems that there are today not only in the North Ossetia-Alania Republic.

The republic has potential in many areas. Its geographical location, climate, recreation areas and natural resources make the development of these areas possible, in particular, health resorts and tourism that were advanced industries in the USSR, as well as the agro-industrial sector. Obviously, the coronavirus epidemic has exposed shortcomings and problems in the healthcare system. The authorities of the North Ossetia-Alania Republic will give priority to these areas in their work.

Together with the implementation of national projects, this can create conditions for sustainable socioeconomic development in the republic. To be able to make use of this potential, I believe that we should draft an individual comprehensive programme of socioeconomic development. The Russian Government has adopted such a decision for 10 regions, which are already drafting their own programmes, three of them in the Siberian Federal District. Some programmes are still being drafted, while others have been submitted for approval. Therefore, Mr President, I am asking you to add the Republic of North Ossetia – Alania to the list of regions allowed to draft individual comprehensive development programmes. We have sufficient experience of doing this.

The implementation of these measures, including the national projects and an individual comprehensive development programme, will give us an opportunity to deal with the tasks you have set before us and to implement your instructions, that is, create new jobs, improve the wellbeing of the people in our multi-ethnic republic, and create comfortable living conditions, including by addressing environmental problems.

One more area I intend to carry on with is the strengthening of mutually beneficial cooperation with the neighbouring republics. I am personally acquainted with the heads of these republics, namely of Stavropol Territory, the Republic of Ingushetia, the Chechen Republic and the Republic of Dagestan. We know each other, and I hope they will help me in my job and we will be working together.

Mr President, I believe that the attainment of these goals will produce the desired effect. The republic has huge human potential, which will also produce a result, if used comprehensively.

Mr President, I am ready to report to you within a month, if you agree, on our achievements regarding the practical spheres and proposals that I have outlined today.

Mr President, I would also like to thank you for your confidence and to say that I will do my best to justify it.





Vladimir Putin:

At the end, you mentioned the most important thing: it is true, the republic has always been Russia’s outpost in this region. Its biggest asset is its people who are talented, hard-working, and very courageous. This is how it has been historically. The republic enjoys a high level of education. Therefore, supported by these fundamental characteristics, it is important to achieve the results you have just spoken about by focusing on the areas you specified.

Mr Menyailo, let us meet again in a month and a half and you will then tell me about getting up to speed with local affairs. On our part, we will do our best to support you.

Good luck.



Sergei Menyailo:

Yes, Mr President.

As for the tailored comprehensive programme, please instruct the Government to include the republic in it and we will develop the programme based on the measures implemented under national projects.



Vladimir Putin:

All right.



Sergei Menyailo:

Also, Mr President, as you are aware, I can rely on my experience in the Siberian regions. I plan to engage state-owned corporations, major industrial companies and agricultural holdings in this individual comprehensive programme, including businesses operating in the republic itself. The support measures which were adopted by the Government as per your decision will allow developing small and medium-sized businesses, among other things. Small farms are also a priority for North Ossetia. I will report to you on all these plans in a month.





Vladimir Putin:

Fine, Mr Menyailo. The executive order on your appointment will be signed today.

All the best. Good luck.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65334






Sergei Menyailo appointed Acting Head of North Ossetia–Alania Republic



The President signed the Executive Order On the Early Termination of the Powers of the Head of the North Ossetia–Alania Republic.



April 9, 2021 - 14:55



Following a statement by the Head of the North Ossetia–Alania Republic Vyacheslav Bitarov on the early termination of office, The President accepted his resignation.

The President appointed Sergei Menyailo Acting Head of the North Ossetia–Alania Republic, having relieved him of his previous duties.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65335






Condolences to Elizabeth II, Queen of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland



Vladimir Putin sent a message to Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, conveying his deepest condolences on the passing of her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.



April 9, 2021 - 16:10



“Many important events in the contemporary history of your country are connected with the name of His Royal Highness. He has rightfully enjoyed the respect of the British nation as well as international recognition,” the Russian President noted in his message.

Vladimir Putin wished Queen Elizabeth II fortitude and resilience in the face of this severe and irreparable loss and requested that his sincere condolences be passed to all the members of the royal family.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65336






Meeting with permanent members of Security Council



Vladimir Putin held a meeting via videoconference with permanent members of the Security Council.



April 9, 2021 - 16:20 - The Kremlin, Moscow







Attending the meeting were Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Anton Vaino, Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, Director of the Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov, Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Sergei Naryshkin, and Special Presidential Representative for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport Sergei Ivanov.







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Colleagues, good afternoon.

Today I suggest we consider matters related to information exchange, problems with the dissemination of information, including contacts with our foreign partners in this area. Information is an extremely important part of modern reality, as an area of activity; I mean all things related to concerns of mutual interest of course. I am referring to security, the environment and epidemic response efforts. We will consider these problems today.

We have a speaker. Let us get started and discuss the draft of the corresponding resolution. Go ahead, please.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65337






Telephone conversation with President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan



President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan.



April 9, 2021 - 17:20



The presidents discussed in detail issues of countering the spread of the coronavirus, expressing willingness to build up cooperation in this area, in part, in the context of supplies and potential joint production of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine.

President Erdogan spoke about the anti-epidemiological measures taken by the Turkish authorities. One priority is to ensure the safety of foreign tourists. The presidents agreed to maintain close contacts between the relevant agencies, in part, in order to protect the health of Russian tourists in Turkey.

They continued exchanging views on a number of urgent international issues.

Discussing the situation in Libya, the two leaders were pleased to note the observance of a ceasefire by the sides and the successful formation of transitional government bodies. They reaffirmed their reciprocal desire to facilitate the peace process and the restoration of national unity.

Discussing the situation in Syria, the presidents emphasised the important role of Russia and Turkey in stabilising the situation and facilitating inter-Syrian talks. They noted the topicality of joint efforts to counter terrorism, particularly in Idlib Province, in line with the provisions of the 2018 Sochi Memorandum and the relevant Additional Protocol of March 5, 2020.

At President Erdogan’s request, Vladimir Putin described Russia’s approaches to resolving the domestic crisis in Ukraine. President Putin emphasised that the 2015 Minsk Package of Measures has no alternative as a foundation for a settlement. He expressed concern that Ukraine is dodging the implementation of the Minsk agreements and has recently resumed dangerous provocations on the contact line.

The conversation touched upon issues regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement. President Erdogan highly praised Russia’s efforts to promote stabilisation there and to ensure step-by-step implementation of the trilateral agreements of November 9, 2020, and January 11, 2021. Vladimir Putin told his Turkish counterpart about the results of his recent contacts with the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Both leaders emphasised the need to restore the transport infrastructure in the South Caucasus.

In the context of Turkey’s plans to build the Istanbul Canal, the Russian President noted the importance of preserving the 1936 Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits with a view to ensuring regional stability and security.

The leaders intend to continue their productive dialogue in diverse formats.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65338






Visiting Yury Gagarin Space Conquerors Park



On the 60th anniversary of the first manned flight into space, Vladimir Putin visited the memorial and educational complex at Yury Gagarin's landing site in the Engels District, Saratov Region.



April 12, 2021 - 17:30 - Saratov Region







The main theme zone of ​​the park – the landing site of Yury Gagarin – is a composition consisting of a stele and a monument to the first cosmonaut. It is surrounded by a walking path featuring pavers engraved with quotes from the pilot's communications with Earth.





Nearby is Cosmonauts Square with the marble Wall of Glory, which contains information about the planets of the solar system and the stages of development of the Soviet and Russian space programmes, including data about scientists, designers and other participants in the Vostok-1 mission.








The exhibits include the historic LAZ-695B six-seater bus, which carried 12 crews to the Baikonur launch site.








The park’s trees and bushes include a cedar alley in memory of the call sign “Kedr” (Cedar) assigned to Yury Gagarin when preparing for his orbital flight.





Vladimir Putin examined the park's display, laid flowers at the monument to Yury Gagarin, and signed the distinguished visitors’ book.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65347






Meeting on long-term priorities of space exploration



On Cosmonautics Day, Vladimir Putin held a meeting, via videoconference, on the long-term priorities of space exploration in the Russian Federation.



April 12, 2021 - 19:30 - Engels, Saratov Region






The meeting was attended by Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, deputy prime ministers Yury Borisov and Marat Khusnullin, Presidential Aide Maxim Oreshkin, Presidential Aide and Head of the Presidential Control Directorate Dmitry Shalkov, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov, Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media Maksut Shadayev, pilot-cosmonaut of the USSR and State Duma Deputy Valentina Tereshkova, President of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexander Sergeyev, and General Director of the Roscosmos State Corporation for Space Activities Dmitry Rogozin.

The meeting participants discussed, in particular, a pay increase for cosmonauts.







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon, colleagues,

To begin with, I would like to congratulate the veterans and employees of the rocket and space industry on their holiday – Cosmonautics Day and on the 60th anniversary of the first manned flight to space by our compatriot Yury Gagarin.

At that time – on April 12, 1961 – this grandiose event certainly changed the world. It ushered in a new space age, an era of space exploration. We will always take pride in the fact that it was our country that paved the way to the Universe and, as I have already said, that our compatriot became a trailblazer on this great road.

These days, festivities in honour of this anniversary are taking place all over the country and abroad. Today, we took part in the opening ceremony of the Park of Space Conquerors in the Saratov Region. A new complex of the Tsiolkovsky State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics is opening in Kaluga. Now it is one of the world’s largest museums devoted to space exploration. Anniversary festivities are also taking place in Yury Gagarin’s homeland – the Smolensk Region, Samara, Orenburg and, naturally, in the leading space centres: the Zvezdny Gorodok (Star City), Baikonur and our new Vostochny Cosmodrome.

Our duty is not just to cherish the memory of the generation of space conquerors and to respect the courage of the cosmonauts who explored the unknown despite the risks, those who created unique space systems and technology and prepared crews for work in the orbit. Our duty is not just to remember those who created and consolidated our space potential. Our duty also lies in striving today to match the level of the space trailblazers in our current work in the rocket and space industry.

Over 50,000 people under 35 years old work in Russia’s rocket and space industry. We must be even more active in involving young personnel, opening great opportunities for them to develop their careers, enhancing their education level and qualifications, and helping them upgrade their living standards. I am sure that the industry will always have excellent workers pursuing the cause of Yury Gagarin, Sergei Korolev and many other outstanding cosmonauts, designers and engineers that redound with their successes to the glory of domestic cosmonautics.

In the new, 21st century, Russia must maintain its status as a leading nuclear and space power because the space industry is directly linked with defence and I would like to remind you of this. Today, we will discuss issues related to long-term priorities of space exploration and will analyse what we must do to strengthen our positions in this truly strategic area.

I would like to note that Russia has successfully conducted over 50 launches of its carrier rockets in the past two and a half years. Just the other day, on April 9, a Soyuz MS-18 named after Yury Gagarin took off from Baikonur with an international crew. We will continue developing international programmes and are willing to cooperate with our partners in space.

At the same time, we must consistently move forward and take on new tasks of fundamental research – both in the practical exploration of extra-terrestrial space and, as I have already said, in fundamental research. We must use our advantages for building up our defence capability, which I have also mentioned, and accelerating our scientific, technological and economic national development.

As you know, in January of the past year we endorsed the Basic Principles of State Policy on Space Activities through to 2030 and beyond. They are our guide in implementing ambitious tasks of space exploration in the next few years and the decades to come.

Colleagues, here is what I would like to stress.

If we want to achieve our ambitious goals, we need an integrated and long-term approach that will fully take into account our priorities in outer space exploration and be backed by corresponding resources. To do so, the Government needs to prepare and approve a document with specific measures to achieve the priorities outlined in the Basic Principles of State Policy on Space Activities.

In this regard, I would like to note, first, that we must re-visit and review all major projects and identify the crucial phases of their implementation. Second, we must have a clear idea of our goals and what we want to achieve at each phase. Third, and it goes without saying, these projects must be tied in to funding sources, broken down by year.

To reiterate, with the specifics of outer space exploration in mind, this document should be all-encompassing and, importantly, of a long-term nature, and reflect our vision of the space industry’s prospects for at least the next 10 years. In doing so, we should focus on the practical use of the results of space activities for the needs of the economy and social sphere, primarily telecommunications, transport, the manufacturing industry, education and healthcare.

Also, the space industry is of particular importance for the digital transformation of our life. I am talking about improving the quality of communications and satellite navigation, and expanding meteorological observations and environmental monitoring capabilities, including remote control of major infrastructure facilities that are under construction, and road safety.

I realise that, given the dynamically changing external and internal circumstances and external and internal conditions, and certain priorities, we will, perhaps, need to clarify and adjust the timeline for achieving our space exploration goals. If the participants of this meeting have any suggestions in this regard, let us know about them and we will discuss them today.

Let's move on to discussing the above questions.





<…>


Vladimir Putin:

Valentina Tereshkova, the first female cosmonaut whom we know well and love, is taking part in our meeting.

Today is a holiday – Cosmonautics Day and the 60th anniversary of the first manned flight. Ms Tereshkova, would you like to say a few words?



Valentina Tereshkova:

On this important date, when 60 years ago our compatriot Yury Gagarin opened a space page in the history of humanity, I would like to speak about his successors, Russian cosmonauts. It is common knowledge that this profession is always very risky. This is why it is very important to provide a decent lifestyle for the cosmonauts and their family members. I would like to hear in this context what will be done in this regard.



Vladimir Putin:

Ms Tereshkova, I have discussed this issue with my colleagues. Indeed, this seems to be a current issue but it is still no less important for those who work in this industry. Up to this day, they have not just done all they can to achieve the desired common result but even put their health and lives at risk. Therefore, I suggest a 50 percent increase in the salaries of those who have already been to space and are important members of the cosmonauts’ team. The salaries of those who have not yet been to space but are getting ready for this will go up by 70 percent. These increases will also be reflected in premium payments and so I think that in all, our cosmonauts will receive handsome remuneration.



Valentina Tereshkova:

Thank you very much.



Vladimir Putin:

For our part, we, all the participants in the meeting, are wishing you a happy holiday.



Valentina Tereshkova:

Thank you.



Vladimir Putin:

Colleagues, if you do not have anything else to add, let us wrap it up. I would like you to prepare corresponding proposals that would underlie the instructions on the outcomes of today’s meeting.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65348






Meeting with Saratov Region Governor Valery Radayev



During his trip to Engels, Vladimir Putin had a working meeting with Saratov Region Governor Valery Radayev.



April 12, 2021 - 21:10 - Engels, Saratov Region







The discussion of the socioeconomic situation in the region began with an update on the coronavirus response efforts. The Governor thanked Vladimir Putin for his support from the very beginning of the pandemic and noted the Government’s quick response to all issues that needed to be resolved. According to Valery Radayev, the disease is weakening and the vaccination campaign is underway.

Speaking about the economy, Valery Radayev said that in 2020 the gross regional product accounted for about 99 percent of the 2019 level. The industrial production index grew by two percent. The grain harvest was 5.5 million tonnes. For the third year in a row, the region has been the leader in Russia in sunflower harvesting; last year, 1.7 million tonnes were harvested, and the processing capacities make it possible to not only meet the demand on the domestic market, but also to export. There was practically no decline in investments. In particular, the Governor noted the restoration of the famous Trolza plant and the release of a new trolleybus.

Valery Radayev named demography among the key problems: the region has a high mortality rate and a low birth rate. The focus is on supporting primary healthcare and improving the quality of ambulance services. The salaries of novice doctors, middle-rank and junior specialists have been raised in the region; the problem of providing young specialists with housing is being addressed. In 2022, a new oncology centre will open, and construction of an anti-tuberculosis centre is underway.

According to the Governor, the current agenda includes spring fieldwork. While last year the harvest of grain stood at 5.5 million tonnes, the expected figure for this is six million tonnes.

Valery Radayev asked the President to make the Space Conquerors Park a federal-level site because it should be a very strong cluster, where large research and educational processes could be organised.

Vladimir Putin promised to support this idea, noting that it would become the 72nd federal museum.

The Governor made another request regarding the problem of dilapidated housing in Letny Gorodok in the city of Engels. The President asked to specify the cost of construction of 76 blocks of flats and promised to provide assistance.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65351
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Greetings to XXII April International Academic Conference on Economic and Social Development



Vladimir Putin sent greetings to participants, organisers and guests of the XXII April International Academic Conference on Economic and Social Development, organised by the National Research Institute Higher School of Economics.



April 13, 2021 - 12:00



The message reads, in part:

“Your traditional forum that brings together prominent scientists, experts, government officials and business circles’ representatives is a significant event in the academic and social life of Russia and other states. It always takes place in a creative and constructive manner and enables the participants to discuss topical modern problems at a high professional level. You focus on the development of state and public institutions, the state and prospects of the national and global economies, and the social sector. And, of course, open discussions, plenary sessions and roundtable discussions prioritise the search for new approaches to addressing the high-priority tasks now facing this country.

I am confident that the conference will facilitate the exchange of experience and knowledge, that it will help strengthen international humanitarian cooperation, and that your proposals and recommendations will serve as an impetus for a more profound and detailed assessment of the situation in the economy, social and public relations.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65357






Telephone conversation with President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte



President of Russia Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the Republic of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte, at the Filipino side’s initiative.



April 13, 2021 - 12:55



The two leaders exchanged greetings on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and the Philippines, marked this year, and pointed out the traditionally friendly and mutually beneficial relations between the two countries.

They also discussed current issues on the bilateral agenda and reaffirmed their mutual commitment to strengthening trade, economic, scientific, technological and humanitarian cooperation.

Special attention was given to the efforts to contain the coronavirus infection. It was agreed to develop cooperation between the relevant agencies, including regarding the supply of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine to the Philippines.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65354






Visit to the Government Coordination Centre



Accompanied by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Vladimir Putin visited the Coordination Centre of the Russian Federation Government.



April 13, 2021 - 16:10 - Moscow






The President was shown how the electronic portal of national projects and the navigation system for using the capabilities of national projects for the Russian people were working; he also toured the co-working area and the situation centre.








The President was informed about the new arrangement of the Government's work and the implementation of national goals using the Coordination Centre’s capabilities, as well as the results of making use of the Coordination Centre resources in resolving social issues.








The Government Coordination Centre was created on February 12, 2021 to ensure interaction between the federal ministries and departments, regions and organisations in the process of tackling routine and emergency situations, and to support the fulfilment of priority goals and projects identified by the President and the Government.








The Coordination Centre’s activities rely on modern digital technologies, including a special project management system, a risk management system for the socioeconomic advancement in Russia, a multimodal system for collecting feedback from the citizens, a data analysis system and other systems. Big data is coming in real time, including from the government information systems of various levels and other sources.











Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin is in charge of the Centre’s strategic and general management. Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko is acting as the head of the Coordination Centre.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65358






Telephone conversation with US President Joseph Biden



A telephone conversation initiated by the United States took place between President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and President of the United States of America Joseph Biden.



April 13, 2021 - 19:00



The current state of Russia-US relations and certain pressing items on the international agenda were discussed in detail. Joseph Biden confirmed the previously transmitted invitation to the President of Russia to take part in the virtual Leaders Summit on Climate, which will be held on April 22–23.

Both presidents expressed their willingness to continue the dialogue on the critical areas of ensuring global security, which would meet the interests not only of Russia and the United States, but the entire international community. In addition, Joseph Biden expressed interest in normalising the state of affairs on the bilateral track and establishing stable and predictable interaction on pressing matters such as ensuring strategic stability and arms control, Iran’s nuclear programme, the situation in Afghanistan, and global climate change.

In this context, the US President suggested considering the possibility of holding a personal summit meeting in the foreseeable future.

When exchanging views on the internal Ukrainian crisis, Vladimir Putin outlined approaches to a political settlement based on the Minsk Package of Measures.

It was agreed to instruct the relevant departments to work through the issues raised during the telephone conversation.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65360






Telephone conversation with President of Finland Sauli Niinistö



President of Russia Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the Republic of Finland Sauli Niinistö.



April 13, 2021 - 20:35



The discussion focused on important aspects of the neighbourly relations between Russia and Finland, as well as the current state and prospects for advancing mutually beneficial relations in various fields.

The two leaders exchanged views on a number of international and regional issues. In particular, both expressed commitment to continuing productive cooperation in the North in the context of Russia's 2021–2023 chairmanship of the Arctic Council.

Sauli Niinistö shared his new initiative to hold a summit in the Finnish capital in 2025 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe with an eye towards reviving the “spirit of Helsinki.” Vladimir Putin supported this idea and mentioned Russia’s proposal to convene a meeting of the heads of state of the permanent members of the UN Security Council which shares essentially the same goals.

At the request of Sauli Niinistö, Vladimir Putin outlined Russia’s approaches to resolving the internal crisis in Ukraine and emphasised the provocative actions by Kiev, which has most recently purposefully exacerbated the situation on the contact line. In this regard, he pointed out that there is no alternative to the Minsk Package of Measures as the basis for a peaceful settlement. He also underscored the importance of the full and unfailing implementation of the Normandy format agreements by Ukraine.

The President of Russia also informed his Finnish counterpart about the telephone conversation initiated by the United States that he had just had with President Joseph Biden.

It was agreed to continue contacts at various levels.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65361






Meeting of Russian Geographical Society Board of Trustees



Vladimir Putin attended a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Russian Geographical Society (RGO) via videoconference.



April 14, 2021 - 14:30 - The Kremlin, Moscow



The participants reviewed the RGO’s performance in 2020, mapped out the main areas of activity for the short term, and presented the most significant and outstanding expedition and research projects for 2021.







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Friends, good afternoon.

I listened to your discussion; it was interesting. Let me join you now.

Last year, for obvious reasons, we could not hold the traditional meeting of the RGO Board of Trustees.

Unfortunately, the pandemic and the indispensable restrictions and sanitary precautions it necessitated coincided with the 175th anniversary of the Russian Geographical Society, marked in 2020. Still, I would like to emphasise that against all odds the geographical society tried to do as much as possible and fulfil its extensive programme planned for that important and significant year, and on the whole, continued its work without interruption.

Members of the Russian Geographical Society have been part of the volunteer movement and joined mutual assistance events, which are of special importance now that we are all facing a common threat. At the same time, in this difficult period for our entire country, the Russian Geographical Society is continuing to implement its plans and ideas. You have not postponed any expeditions, any field research; you have continued to publish books and make films. Very interesting books and films, in fact. I would also like to note the educational initiatives implemented by the RGO, including online projects.

The last meeting of the Russian Geographical Society was also held online. Its participants discussed and adopted all the decisions that were necessary for further development. In particular, they elected leaders to manage specific areas of RGO work for the next five years.

I congratulate all our colleagues who have received the support of the congress, and of course, Mr Shoigu on his re-election as president of the RGO. Wishing you all good luck and success.

The Russian Geographical Society has everything it needs to implement its ambitious plans. It has tens of thousands of well-educated and energetic researchers, travellers and scientists. It has a very good reputation in Russia and the rest of the world. And it also has actual and quite considerable assistance from the Board of Trustees and the Media Council.

Colleagues, I would like to mention your invariably partial attitude to the Russian Geographical Society and your involvement in its activities. A great number of scientific achievements and brilliant initiatives, which have become a reality over a period of the past few years, were implemented thanks to you and your backing. The support you are providing is sincere and heartfelt. It is based on a thorough understanding of the importance of the activities of the RGO and its enthusiastic members for the country and society.

I believe that it is also important that the RGO continues providing venues for our meetings, festivals and onsite events, which are always interesting and educational.

I do hope that today your agenda will be ambitious as well. Our colleagues will speak about their nature protection and research programmes and their implementation. And they will also present their new projects.

I have no doubt that the reports about many of the programmes that have already been implemented will be published in Vokrug Sveta, an iconic magazine, one of the oldest in Russia, which will mark its 160th anniversary this year. I would like to congratulate the magazine’s staff and faithful readers on this occasion.

A member of the Board of Trustees also has his birthday today, although he is not as old as the magazine. It is Viktor Vekselberg. Mr Vekselberg, I would like to wish you a happy birthday and all the very best, personally and on behalf of our colleagues.



Viktor Vekselberg:

Thank you very much.






Vladimir Putin:

Before the COVID shutdown, we had a good tradition of meeting during the holidays, usually in summer, in places where the RGO held events with your assistance. Of course, this would be difficult or even impossible to do at present, during the pandemic. But I hope that the pandemic will recede soon, partly due to the vaccination that we are conducting energetically throughout the country. I would like to reveal to you that I received my second jab just a little while ago, before entering this very room. I hope everything goes well. No, it is more than hope – I am sure that this is how it will be. I wish the same to all of you. I expect you to do the same, to follow my example if you care for yourselves and your dear ones.

Let us get down to work.


<…>


Vladimir Putin:

(commenting on the speech by Deputy Director of the Museum and Exhibition Centre for the Technical and Technological Exploration of the Arctic Pavel Filin on the study of historical sites along the entire Northern Sea Route and his proposal to organise state protection of underwater objects, including sunken ships) Indeed, this is a problem requiring a solution. It is of a historical, scholarly (in the broadest sense of the word) and memorial nature because during the Great Patriotic War the Soviet fleet lost many ships in the hostilities. I believe we lost about 900 warships and 1,700–1,800 support, marine and fishing vessels. Many ships and submarines sank with their crews and in line with the marine tradition, these are their final resting places, the graves of the sailors. The majority of these vessels have not been found at all. Nobody knows where they sank. This involves a great deal of meticulous work. It is necessary to determine the location of these areas, establish procedures for surveys, and research and draft rules and regulations for underwater tourism at sea, and so on.

Thank you for paying attention to this. We will deal with this; it will be necessary to take a closer look at it. I would like to ask the Government and State Duma deputies to work on this issue and adopt relevant legally executed regulations as soon as possible.


<…>


Vladimir Putin:

(commenting on the remarks by Frederik Dag Arfst Paulsen, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ferring Pharmaceuticals LLC, founder of Paulsen Publishing House, and member of the Board of Trustees of the Russian Geographical Society, who put forward several proposals regarding Arctic research) I certainly support what was just said. Indeed, Russia will chair the Arctic Council this year, starting in May, I believe. By the way, I spoke about the Arctic Council’s activities with my Finnish colleague, the President of Finland, yesterday. Despite all the challenges facing us in the international arena, the study of the Arctic and our attention to the Arctic remain unchanged.

The six countries on the Arctic Council are cooperating closely. The proposals that we have just heard are, without a doubt, interesting. The year 2022 will mark an anniversary of the first Soviet Arctic station that operated there. Of course, the Arctic is of interest not only to the Arctic Council countries, because planetary climate change is particularly salient there. Therefore, Arctic research is of interest to all humankind, without any doubt. This is my first point.

Secondly, we have embarked on a path of extensive economic development of the Arctic, including the Northern Sea Route and related traffic. I discussed this matter with some of our colleagues yesterday as well. Russia is building the world's most powerful icebreaker fleet, including giants such as the Leader Project series icebreakers, which are unparalleled. To reiterate, yesterday we said that traffic along the Northern Sea Route may become year-round in the near future, within the next few years, and this will most likely be the case.

All of this, including climate change, the consequences of which no one can fully understand and which are impossible to predict with any level of accuracy, is important for the entire planet and for our country, because whole cities were built north of the Arctic Circle during Soviet times, and people live there. If permafrost continues to melt, we need to understand what we should do about it.

In general, from very many points of view, the study of the Arctic is of great importance for both Russia and the entire world. Of course, we will continue to work on it. I will ask my colleagues from the Government to work through your proposals and to make appropriate decisions. I invite you and your colleagues to attend a forum on Arctic research, which will be held as part of our Arctic Council chairmanship. I look forward to you taking part in its work.


<..>


Vladimir Putin:

(commenting on remarks by Bernard LOONEY, CEO of the BP Group and member of the Board of Trustees of the Russian Geographical Society, who spoke about RGO’s educational project – the Floating University of the Volga Basin expedition of the Volga State University of Water Transport – which is related, in particular, to the climate and environmental agenda) Thank you for your remarks and for being part of the Russian Geographical Society’s activities.

Of course, striving for carbon neutrality is an excellent and noble goal, and I know that your company is paying a lot of attention to it and is investing much in related research. I am also aware that your cooperation with Rosneft is very successful, and your company’s capitalisation, considering the reserves that continue to grow, including in Russia, has positive values.

For my part, I can say that we are satisfied with our cooperation, and the fact that you consider it possible to take part in environmental projects, such as doing research on the Volga River and maintaining its environmental condition, is very important to us. It is a rather sensitive matter, because the Volga is not just a river and it is not just about shipping or economic activity, which is also important, and we have been doing more in this department lately than before, but the Volga is special for Russia, since it is a state-forming element for our country.

Therefore, we strongly hope that your contribution to our joint efforts to preserve the Volga, in the broadest sense of the word, will be tangible, and I want to thank you for that, the more so as you are doing this in conjunction with a Russian university and helping to involve young people, young researchers in this work. This is very important. Thank you very much.


<…>





Vladimir Putin:

(commenting on the remarks by Sergei Katkov, head of research and field projects at the Modern History Research Centre, regarding an expedition scheduled for next summer to explore airfields of the legendary Alsib Trace, the Soviet portion of the air route used to deliver Lend-Lease aircraft from the allies in the anti-Hitler coalition) I can and must quote the opinion of those who forged the Soviet Union’s victory in the Great Patriotic War. Marshal Zhukov was one of the key figures. If memory serves, he did say that if it had not been for the lend-lease supplies, we would have had to fight for another year or two. This would have meant more casualties, more loss of life, more destruction and so on.

Indeed, even during World War II our soldiers, as we know from Soviet literature and films, called American canned meat “the Second Front.” Speaking of canned meat, lend-lease supplies met 80 percent of our needs. We must give credit where credit is due, it was quite a bit.

However, it was not just about food. Do you know what mattered most? Metal. Metal supplies were very important for our defence industry. Other supplies also played a big role for us, such as combat hardware sent directly, automobiles, train carriages and aircraft.

The route you mentioned was certainly unique because the pilots had to fly the aircraft over in very hard conditions. American pilots used to say that only suicidal people and Russians could fly in such conditions. This was heroic work and a heroic page in the history of the Great Patriotic War. To be honest, few people know about it.

The fact that you are working on it is very important. I would like to thank you for this. In general, these lend-lease supplies and the opening of the Second Front later on obviously played a major role in defeating our common adversary, our common enemy – Nazism. True, these supplies were not free: in 1990, after a meeting of the Soviet and US presidents, we signed an agreement under which the USSR had to pay the remainder of the money due for land-lease supplies by 2030. Russia paid everything due to the United States in 2006. The matter is closed. These were interstate relations and they were both strategic and commercial in nature.

However, there is one aspect I would like to draw special attention to. I am referring to the people who did this. You said now you are exploring this air route for combat aircraft flown over from Alaska. However, there were also other routes, such as northern sea routes and some other directions. What do I think should be emphasised? We treat these people as heroes because they are heroes without any exaggeration. They risked their lives and many of them perished, and so we treat them just like our own veterans of the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union and Russia. I would like to say again that we consider them heroes and they will remain heroes in our hearts forever.


<…>


Vladimir Putin:

I would like to thank Mr Shoigu and all our colleagues, friends, comrades-in-arms, and like-minded people for what you are doing. You are doing a very important and interesting job. And if it is not interesting in some way, it is up to you and me to make it not only a highly sought-after, but also an exciting and captivating job. I really count on this, and I know that you are enthusiasts and top performers who have already achieved or are in the process of achieving outstanding results in the areas that you engage in professionally. And if you engage in tackling the challenges facing the Russian Geographical Society, you are also enthusiasts. I strongly hope that this enthusiasm – which is very useful and, I will say it again, exciting – will be the kind of guiding light that will lead us all to our common goal, which is to preserve nature and to encourage millions of people to connect with nature.

I think that achievements in this area will bring you satisfaction and a sense of self-realisation and self-fulfillment. This is an area in which self-fulfilment and self-empowerment will project onto tens of thousands, and perhaps, given the size of our projects, millions of people.

Once again, I would like to thank you and wish you all the best. Hopefully, I will see you in the summer. Please get ready for that meeting, too, so that we will not only sit down and have lunch, but also be able to tell each other about what has been done, and the goals and objectives that we must achieve and fulfil in the near future.

Thank you very much.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65362






Executive Order on Awarding Order of Courage



The President signed the Executive Order On Awarding the Order of Courage to the employees of the firefighting service, who took part in extinguishing a fire at the Nevskaya Manufaktura in St Petersburg.



April 14, 2021 - 17:50



The Order of Courage is conferred on the following employees of the Federal Fire Service of the Emergencies Ministry State Fire Service for courage and valour displayed in performing their duty in extreme conditions:

Ilya Beletsky – internal service warrant officer (posthumously)

Anton Sokolov – internal service lieutenant

Boris Starkovsky – internal service warrant officer

Konstantin Startsev – internal service lieutenant (posthumously).




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65364






Greetings to family of Cosmonaut Georgy Beregovoy



Vladimir Putin sent a message to the son, daughter and brother of Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR and twice Hero of the Soviet Union Georgy Beregovoy (1921–1995) on his 100th birth anniversary.



April 15, 2021 - 09:15



The message reads, in part:

“April 15 of the year marking the 60th anniversary of the first manned space mission marks the 100th birth anniversary of twice Hero of the Soviet Union Georgy Beregovoy, an outstanding representative of Soviet and global cosmonautics and a true patriot.

For Georgy Beregovoy, service to our Motherland was the meaning and essence of his entire life. Since childhood, he dreamed of the skies, studied at an air club and a school for military pilots. After graduating, he deployed to the front and bravely fought the enemy until Victory.

After the Great Patriotic War, Georgy Beregovoy won a reputation as a top-class test pilot who completely devoted himself to space exploration and contributed outstanding and truly unforgettable pages to the history of exploring the Universe and to the history of our country. He did not fear difficulties, performed his tasks in a worthy manner and displayed stamina and fortitude even in the most difficult situations.

And, of course, I would like to single out Georgy Beregovoy’s sincere attention to and support for fellow residents of Yenakiyevo, his birthplace.

The glorious biography of this wonderful man, his tremendous contribution to the development of the national space programme and his highly beneficial public activities will always serve as an example for younger generations.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65372






Greetings to 10th All-Russian Congress of Lawyers



Vladimir Putin sent his greetings to the participants and guests of the 10th All-Russian Congress of Lawyers.



April 15, 2021 - 10:45



The message reads, in part:

“Since your first congress, the Russian Bar Association has grown to become a key component of a rule-of-law state and has proved its efficiency and importance with its practical deeds. You not only defend the rights of people and their legitimate interests, but you are also making a substantial contribution to enhancing legal awareness, promoting the priority of law and improving the legislation and law enforcement practice. I would like to emphasise your openness to dialogue with the authorities and your striving for cooperation to make our criminal law more humane and to ensure the rights of all those involved in legal proceedings.

Your congress will focus on amendments and additions to the fundamental corporate document, the Code of Professional Ethics of Lawyers. I hope that the adoption of the Code’s new wording will contribute to the further development of the institute of defence lawyers and will help improve the quality of legal assistance, and that the initiatives advanced during your congress will be applied in practice and will help strengthen the prestige of Russian lawyers in society.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65374






Telephone conversation with President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko



Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko.



April 15, 2021 - 11:10



The two leaders discussed several important matters on the bilateral agenda and expressed mutual interest in further comprehensive strengthening of Russian-Belarusian allied relations.

In the context of Alexander Lukashenko’s recent visit to Azerbaijan, the topic of the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process was also touched upon.

The parties agreed to continue contacts at various levels.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65368






Telephone conversation with appointed Prime Minister of Lebanon Saad Hariri



Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with appointed Prime Minister of Lebanon Saad Hariri who is currently in Moscow on a working visit.



April 15, 2021 - 13:05



Saad Hariri informed Vladimir Putin about developments in the domestic political situation in Lebanon and steps being taken to form a new government and overcome the economic crisis in the country. The Russian President reaffirmed the principled support for Lebanon’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity.

The President and the Prime Minister discussed topical issues on the regional agenda and expressed readiness to cooperate on creating favourable conditions for the safe return of Syrian refugees, currently residing in Lebanon, back to their home country.

Vladimir Putin and Saad Hariri also talked about bilateral cooperation, with a focus on strengthening trade and economic ties and intensifying contacts between competent agencies in an effort to counter COVID-19, including through the supply of Russian vaccines to Syria.

The President congratulated Saad Hariri and all Muslims in Lebanon on the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65370
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Telephone conversation with Prime Minister of National Unity Government of Libya Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh



Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity of Libya Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, who is on a visit in Russia.



April 15, 2021 - 15:05



The sides had a thorough discussion of the settlement in Libya. Vladimir Putin welcomed the establishment of interim central authorities in Libya, which are to prepare and hold national elections at the end of the year. The Russian side noted its readiness to further promote the intra-Libyan political process in order to achieve long-term stability in Libya, strengthen its sovereignty and unity, and ensure steady socioeconomic development.

Taking into account the rich experience of mutually beneficial cooperation that the two states have, it was agreed to start working out promising directions for the development of bilateral ties in various fields.

Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh expressed gratitude for the delivery of a batch of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine to Libya.

Vladimir Putin offered his greetings to the Prime Minister of Libya and all Libyan people on the start of the holy month of Ramadan.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65375






Joint meeting of State Council Presidium and Agency for Strategic Initiatives



Vladimir Putin held a joint meeting, via videoconference, of the State Council Presidium and the autonomous non-profit Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI) to discuss social issues.



April 15, 2021 - 15:45 - Novo-Ogaryovo, Moscow Region






The meeting agenda included increasing the availability and improving the quality of government services in education, healthcare, employment and social protection.

A package of federal and regional measures aimed at this goal was drafted as part of the National Social Initiative (NSI) that the ASI is implementing in accordance with the President’s instructions.







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon, colleagues.

Today we are holding a joint meeting of the State Council Presidium and the Agency for Strategic Initiatives. I propose that, in this expanded format, with Government members present (whom I can see on the screen), we thoroughly discuss specific steps towards the implementation of the National Social Initiative.

The purpose of this socially significant project is to improve the social sphere, make it more customer-oriented and calibrate the processes involved, based on people’s needs and demands.

I should start by saying that people do not care about technical, administrative or organisational issues. It is more important for them to get high quality and timely help, with the professionals who provide this help not having to deal with any issues either. This is what we must accomplish. For example, we must make sure that doctors and employees of educational institutions and social services do not have to deal with excessive paperwork or red tape but instead can give their full attention to people.

I asked the ASI and the appropriate commission of the State Council to thoroughly review, as part of the NSI, specific problems in the social sphere – literally examine, step by step, every possible situation that a person or a family may find themselves in. For example, enrolling children in a nursery or a school; getting medical help in an outpatient clinic or applying for disability; searching for a job or getting professional development through an employment centre.

In cooperation with the Federal Competence Centre, non-profit organisations, and civil society institutions, our colleagues worked on the ground in the regions, such as Novgorod, Kaliningrad and Nizhny Novgorod regions, the Republic of Bashkortostan and on Sakhalin.

I know that you have been meeting and talking with people, parents, senior citizens and people who have impaired health. It is on the basis of public opinion that you have identified the ten most sensitive and most common life situations that people deal with, and outlined specific goals and practical steps to tackle existing problems. Today we will, definitely, discuss the proposals you have developed as a result of this work.

Colleagues, I would like to note that the Agency for Strategic Initiatives will soon be 10 years old. The National Business Initiative has become your main project that boils down to the removal of normative, legislative barriers and restrictions for business. It is in the areas where your agency, the business community, and, most importantly, all levels of government pooled their efforts that it became possible to make tangible progress and achieve noticeable, I would say, weighty results.

For instance, owing to the launch of digital services and the large-scale introduction of advanced technologies, tax procedures have become more convenient, let us put it carefully, for people in general and for entrepreneurs. Colleagues, now you also always adhere in government activities to the key principle of working for the benefit of the people. I am sure you will use this principle in the future as well and will establish control over it as well as over the implementation of the National Social Initiative.

I have recently been to a new control centre that the Government has set up. I believe the new instruments that you have created will further help you achieve tangible practical results in this work.

Let me repeat that it is most important for the Government, the ASI, the State Council and its relevant commissions, and, of course, onsite management teams to pool their efforts. At this point, I would like to address my colleagues and governors of the Russian Federation. Friends, real improvements in the performance of specific institutions – schools, outpatient clinics, rural health posts and employment centres – primarily depend on your responsible approach and people should see such changes for the better very soon.





Colleagues,

I think you must focus on the following areas.

First, of course, the problems people are facing are certainly not limited to the life situations and topics we will discuss today. It is necessary to constantly look for where there is still room for drastic improvement in the work of social institutions so that they meet the highest standards and requirements of our people.

Secondly, following the analysis of the life situations faced by people, I would like to ask the Government, in cooperation with the State Council commissions and the ASI to study attentively delegated legislation, departmental letters, orders, instructions and other documents in the social area. In this respect, your approach must be explicitly clear: it is necessary to resolutely get rid of pointless requirements, unfounded, excessive red tape procedures, and absurd norms and rules, everything that wears out and, let us be straight, even humiliates people, dismantling the teams of social institutions and demotivating them. This is destroying them professionally, reducing the efficiency and quality of their work.

The third thing I would like to point out is the following. I am aware that yesterday members of the State Council Presidium visited an employment centre and an outpatient clinic in Moscow, and that they did not just inspect how they work but also held an in-depth discussion of their experience at a special seminar organised by the State Council and the Agency for Strategic Initiatives.

I have no doubt that the other constituent entities have devised interesting solutions in the social sphere. Our colleagues informed me about them during our personal meetings. Therefore, we must expand the format of exchanging experience and competencies and develop direct interaction between regional teams. I am asking the relevant State Council commissions to sum up the best practices so as to be able to help the regions, working jointly with the ASI, to implement effective solutions at their educational, healthcare and social services facilities and employment centres.

Fourth, I would like to ask the ASI to pay special attention to supporting regional development; greatly increase the scale and geography of these projects, and, while analysing real-life situations in the social sphere, also to take measures in the other fields that are directly related to the quality of people’s life, doing this in close coordination with the State Council commissions, as I have already mentioned.

I would like to point out that the National Social Initiative is a vital tool that must become an effective instrument of attaining our social development objectives. The most important of them is a better quality of life for the people in big cities and small towns and all over our huge country. Of course, we will be assessing the efforts of each region to improve people’s well-being as objectively as possible, as I mentioned on numerous occasions, based on public opinion, surveyed during large-scale sociological polls, among other things.

In this context, I would like to ask the ASI to develop, jointly with the State Council Commission on State and Municipal Administration, a methodology for ranking the quality of life in constituent entities, and to report on the results of this annual ranking at the next ASI Supervisory Board meeting.

Let us get down to our agenda. I would also like to add that everything we will be discussing here will be a major stage of preparations for the upcoming Address to the Federal Assembly. Of course, today I would like to hear proposals and ideas that could be used as a basis for our short-term development plans and for our immediate joint actions in the vital sphere of social policy.





<…>


Vladimir Putin:

At the very end, I would like to say literally a few words.

First, as regards our discussion today, we have indeed prepared a draft list of instructions that I hope the ASI, the regions and the federal centre will carry out. I am referring to the funding of the projects we have been discussing today.

What Nyuta Federmesser has been talking about just now is very important, especially when she says this is a piece of cake and that is a piece of cake. Indeed. However, to make everything so easy, we must deal with yet another vital area – culture. Only by having the most attentive attitude to history, to the moral and ethical values of our peoples, the peoples of the Russian Federation, and by relying on cultural values will we be able to achieve the best results in our joint efforts to improve the performance of the social sphere.

This is what I would like to say in conclusion.

The Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI) did well in realising the goals of the National Business Initiative. I am hoping you will achieve the same results in the social sphere.

Naturally, we are far from having resolved all the issues in business. There are still a lot of outstanding issues there. However, the social area is a more complicated sphere of our joint work. Primarily, because it concerns a much larger number of people, practically every citizen of our country. Secondly, this sphere is more complicated, with many areas of development, with intertwining interests and big problems that have been created over decades, I think, since the Soviet times. Yet, we must still borrow the best practices from there. Take, for instance, the system of broad healthcare opportunities that we were actively developing during the pandemic.





Here are some points I would like to note in this context.

First, the situation in every region is different. I looked at the draft list of instructions. There is a point about methods. Yes, we need methodology. It is perfectly obvious that we must promote the best practices.

Indeed, our colleagues said the situation in every region is different. It is different in every country. They said in the beginning that many people in Russia do not consider our healthcare system effective. There are grievances about education and all of them are justified. However, if you look at sociological polls in the leading countries, say, of the EU, you will see the same picture. Believe me, look at these figures. This is open information.

That said, we must not be guided by their successes or failures. We must meet the requirements of our own people and respond to the real situation. Let me repeat: the situation is different in every country and every region. Therefore, we need methodological recommendations but they must reflect understandable criteria.

Here is a simple example. The key performance indicators at employment centres can be figured out – the T2, T1, T something else, we need to see what it is. This should be simpler so that people understand what it is all about – how many people came to the employment centre, how many found a job through this employment centre, and how many are satisfied with the service provided.

I am not even talking now about, perhaps, an even more complicated sphere such as healthcare and educational institutions. My colleagues have mentioned preschools, schools and the healthcare system in general.

In this regard, I would like to say the following. When ASI was working on the National Entrepreneurship Initiative, what did you do? What were you doing on your own and together with representatives of the business community? You walked in their shoes, all the way an entrepreneur usually goes. In fact, it was like a “test purchase,” as they used to say at law enforcement agencies. It was actually the same thing.





This is more difficult, of course, because there are many more areas of activity here. I would like to ask the Agency for Strategic Initiatives and my colleagues in the regions – you certainly do not need to personally oversee enrollment to a school or nursery, or how procedure is followed at a clinic or hospital – but a few trusted persons can do this. This should benefit your subordinates. I am not sure that agency statistics are always objective. See for yourself what is happening there in real life, on the ground. Follow this path. And it will immediately become clear where people encounter specific problems. You will also figure out ways to resolve them, including modern methods that were mentioned here today, such as artificial intelligence.

I would like to encourage all of you to take some very specific steps, including working with the people to get feedback. And to do this, you will certainly need to work both with the people directly and with public organisations.

This, I believe, is even more important in this sense perhaps than implementing ideas concerning the entrepreneurial initiative. Here, it is absolutely necessary to contact specific people, and public organisations, including the Russian Popular Front.

I would like to thank you for the work you have done. I will try to use all this – I will not just try, but I will definitely use it in my Address. And we will finalise the list of instructions and adopt it, so that we will have guidelines for achieving our goals.

Thank you and all the best.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65373






Greetings on the opening of Memory Watch national event



Vladimir Putin sent greetings to participants in the opening of the Memory Watch national event, which began in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk in Russia’s Far East.



April 16, 2021 - 09:30



The message reads, in part:

“This year, we are marking the 80th anniversary of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, and your work is acquiring a special meaning. The Soviet people’s sacred battle for freedom and independence, crowned with Victory, became an event of tremendous moral and historical significance. It is our moral duty to preserve the truth about the heroic feats of our ancestors and to reinstate the names and destinies of the fallen defenders of the Motherland and civilians killed by the Nazis and their accomplices.

I would like to note the Russian Search Movement’s key and most active role in this large-scale work. It is gratifying that it is gaining momentum, and that it unites thousands of people. What is very important is that your movement has many young participants who are proud of the war-time generation’s heroic and labour feats, and who strive to personally contribute to perpetuating the memory of heroes, the architects of the Great Victory.

This continuity of generations, a responsible civic position and patriotism and a caring attitude towards our historical legacy deserve profound respect. I would like to thank you and your comrades for your concern, determination and dedication to your cause.”

The Memory Watch national event includes search expeditions, as well as efforts to bury the remains of fallen soldiers and present their personal effects to their descendants. The Memory Watch annually involves over 40,000 amateur archaeologists in various Russian regions. In the past six years, since the event began, its participants have located the remains of over 120,000 Soviet officers and soldiers and have identified over 6,000 names. The event includes search expeditions, care for military burial sites and the improvement of territories linked with the deceased soldiers’ heroic feats.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65378






Meeting with permanent members of the Security Council



Vladimir Putin held a briefing session, via videoconference, with permanent members of the Security Council.



April 16, 2021 - 15:20 - Novo-Ogaryovo, Moscow Region







The discussion focused on the domestic socioeconomic agenda and the response to the US sanctions imposed on Russia the day before. The President also informed the meeting participants about the international telephone conversations he had had this week.

The meeting was attended by State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Anton Vaino, Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, Federal Security Service Director Alexander Bortnikov and Foreign Intelligence Service Director Sergei Naryshkin.

The meeting was also attended by Chief of the General Staff of Russia’s Armed Forces – First Deputy Defence Minister Valery Gerasimov.







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Colleagues, good afternoon,

Today, we’re going to talk about military organisation and building the state military establishment, in particular, about planning in this sphere, which is extremely important for Russia.

Let's get down to work. Our speaker today is Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov. Please, go ahead.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65380






Information on incomes, expenditure and assets of the President, the Presidential Executive Office staff, and of their family members has been published



April 16, 2021 - 18:00



Information on incomes, expenditure, assets and liabilities of the President, the Presidential Executive Office staff appointed to their posts by the President, the Security Council staff, and of their family members is published in accordance with Presidential Executive Order No. 613 of July 8, 2013.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65377






Greetings to Russia’s figure skating team on winning ISU World Team Trophy 2021 in Osaka



Vladimir Putin congratulated Russia’s figure skating team on winning the ISU World Team Trophy 2021 in Osaka, Japan.



April 17, 2021 - 19:00



The message reads, in part:

“Such a beautiful and confident victory is a well-deserved reward for your unsurpassed skill, tremendous hard work and team spirit. And of course, my warmest words of recognition go to your coaches and mentors.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65392






Greetings on launching international search expedition Rzhev. Kalinin Front



Vladimir Putin sent greetings to the participants in the international search expedition Rzhev. Kalinin Front, which starts at the Rzhev Memorial to the Soviet Soldier.



April 18, 2021 - 15:00



The message reads, in part:

“Organised in 2016, your expedition is rightfully considered one of the country’s largest. It brings together a large and close-knit team of dedicated and energetic people who feel personally responsible for preserving historical memory and perpetuating the names of fallen heroes. You help identify the names of Red Army commanders and soldiers, you locate their families and friends, and you care for military burial sites and common graves. What is no less important, you make the rising generation feel proud of the Motherland’s military glory. This activity deserves profound respect and support.”

Organised by the Russian Military Historical Society and the Defence Ministry, with the involvement of the Tver Region’s Government, the international search expedition Rzhev. Kalinin Front is held annually in areas where bloody battles raged in 1942 and 1943. The 2020 expedition involved amateur archeologists from 53 Russian regions, as well as Belarus and Kazakhstan. Expedition members located the remains of over 700 Red Army soldiers. The names of 107 servicemen have been identified since 2016, and the relatives of 25 soldiers have been located.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65384






Greetings to 5th International Labour Forum



Vladimir Putin sent his greetings to participants, organisers and guests of the 5th International Labour Forum.



April 19, 2021 - 10:00



The message reads, in part:

“During the past years, your regular meetings have become a major event in the business life of St Petersburg and the country as a whole. Your discussion platform brings together representatives of the authorities, business and expert communities, as well as public organisations from many countries for an open and earnest discussion of current problems in such a priority sphere as the development and improvement of a modern labour market.

The agenda of the current forum will highlight the search for common approaches aimed at enhancing labour productivity, improving the system of training and advanced training of vocational specialists, promoting the employment of people with special needs, and regulating labour migration. Of course, priority attention should be given to an effective development of digital technology and the broad introduction of remote employment. This is especially important now that Russia and the world as a whole have come across new global challenges.

I have no doubt that your forum will be fruitful and will promote an exchange of positive experience and best practices.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65385






Telephone conversation with President of Bolivia Luis Arce



Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the Plurinational State of Bolivia Luis Arce



April 19, 2021 - 18:45



The presidents continued to discuss practical steps for the further comprehensive development of Russian-Bolivian partnership, including in trade, the economy, energy and transport.

Particular attention was paid to cooperation on healthcare, including, mainly, the coronavirus response and ensuring the supply of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine to Bolivia.

It was agreed to maintain contact at various levels.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65390






Meeting on drafting the Federal Assembly Address



Vladimir Putin held a video-conference with heads of the Government and the Presidential Executive Office on drafting the Address to the Federal Assembly scheduled for April 21.



April 19, 2021 - 21:20 - Novo-Ogaryovo, Moscow Region







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good evening, colleagues.

We have been drafting the Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly in different formats almost all day today. Yesterday I spoke to some of our colleagues, and today I spoke several times with the Prime Minister, some of the Deputy Prime Ministers, and the Finance Minister.





We are about to agree on and finalise some of the crucial areas, in which I would definitely include social projects and infrastructure development projects. So let us summarize at least an interim result so that tomorrow we can finalise the issues I singled out.





Of course, we need maximum results in economic development, support for businesses and support for the people, especially those who need support from the state, and the result should also include a careful approach towards state finances so that every ruble is effectively used and benefits economic development and each individual these are funds are allocated to.

Let us get down to work.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65393
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Greetings to Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, First Secretary of the Cuban Communist Party Central Committee and President of Cuba



Vladimir Putin sent greetings to Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic of Cuba, on his election as First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba.



April 20, 2021 - 09:00



The message reads, in part:

“The decision of the party congress fully reaffirms your high political authority and signifies the recognition of your service to the country.

We greatly appreciate our strategic partnership with Cuba. I hope that our joint efforts will ensure further development of our constructive bilateral dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation across all areas and for the benefit of our friendly nations.”

Vladimir Putin also extended his birthday greetings to Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez and wished him good health, happiness, prosperity and success in his presidential and partisan duties.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65410






Greetings to Raul Castro Ruz



Vladimir Putin congratulated Raul Castro Ruz on successfully holding the 8th Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba.



April 20, 2021 - 09:10



The message reads, in part:

“I am confident that the implementation of the decisions adopted by the congress will help successfully resolve socioeconomic issues facing your country.

Over the decades of work in top party and state positions, you have done a great deal for Cuba and won the well-deserved respect of your compatriots and high prestige abroad.

It is difficult to overestimate your personal contribution to expanding friendly Russian-Cuban relations and elevating them to the level of strategic partnership. I am confident that constructive cooperation between our states will continue to grow stronger in all areas.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65412






Greetings on opening of International Epidemiological Wellbeing Conference



Vladimir Putin sent greetings to the participants and organisers of the International Conference Epidemiological Well-Being.



April 20, 2021 - 09:30



The message reads, in part:

“Items on the agenda of the conference have special significance for the entire humankind, and they undoubtedly call for pooling the efforts of doctors and researchers from various countries. The widely spread coronavirus pandemic proves convincingly that not a single state, not even the most developed state, can independently guarantee epidemiological safety on its own, unless it cooperates with foreign partners.

Russian medical specialists, researchers and healthcare and sanitary-epidemiological services workers have accumulated unique experience on how to combat the coronavirus pandemic and many other highly dangerous infectious diseases, including AIDS, flu, measles, the plague and Ebola. Russian specialists are actively sharing their knowledge, discoveries, technological and practical inventions, and they are ready to expand such cooperation in the future.

I strongly hope that you will have constructive and substantive discussions, that the results of your joint work will be implemented, and that this will protect people’s health all over the world.”

On April 20–21, Moscow is the venue of the International Conference Epidemiological Well-Being.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65397






Greetings on opening of United Russia – Communist Party of China Dialogue



Vladimir Putin sent greetings to participants in the United Russia – Communist Party of China Dialogue meeting.



April 20, 2021 - 10:00



The message reads, in part:

“It is symbolic that both parties, being the leading political forces in the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China, are celebrating major anniversaries this year. The Communist Party of China is marking 100 years and the United Russia party is marking 20 years of existence.

The inter-party dialogue has traditionally been a significant aspect of Russian–Chinese relations, which are characterised as overarching strategic cooperation. It is important that even now, despite the restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, United Russia and the CPC maintain regular contacts between their central bodies and regional units. This enables you to thoroughly discuss many topical issues on the bilateral agenda, share practical experience in party-building, parliamentary and legislative activity, as well as coordinate useful and relevant public and political initiatives.

I hope that your cooperation will be constructive and fruitful and will contribute to further strengthening friendship and mutual understanding between our nations.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65414






Telephone conversation with President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez



President of Russia Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the Republic of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez.



April 20, 2021 - 18:35



Vladimir Putin warmly congratulated Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez on his election as First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, and extended his birthday greetings to the Cuban leader. The President also sent friendly greetings to Raul Castro.

The parties reaffirmed their mutual interest in the comprehensive strengthening of the strategic partnership between Russia and Cuba. They also emphasised the importance of the implementation of the current joint projects in trade, economic and other spheres.

Vladimir Putin and Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez expressed their readiness to coordinate efforts to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The leaders agreed to intensify the Russian-Cuban dialogue in various formats.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65415






Greetings on opening of Yelena Obraztsova Foundation 2nd International Vocal Competition Jose Carreras Grand Prix



Vladimir Putin sent greetings to the participants, organisers and guests of the 2nd International Vocal Competition Jose Carreras Grand Prix organised by the Yelena Obraztsova Foundation.



April 20, 2021 - 20:00



The message reads, in part:

“It is wonderful to see that the creative potential of this competition, aimed at supporting young talents, is truly inexhaustible. This year, an impressive number of performers from many countries will take part in the contest. All of them are united by excellent vocal skills and commitment to the ideals and values of high art and professional growth. And, of course, they all share a sincere desire to perform together with prominent opera singers and to learn from them.

I am sure that your forum, organised by the Yelena Obraztsova Foundation, will become a remarkable event in the cultural life of Russia and other countries, and will facilitate the development of international cultural ties.”

The Yelena Obraztsova Foundation, a charity that supports musical arts, was established in December 2011 at an initiative of famous opera singer, People’s Artist of the USSR Yelena Obraztsova (1939–2015).

The 2nd International Vocal Competition Jose Carreras Grand Prix organised by the foundation will take place from April 20 to April 26 in Moscow. The contest was established in 2018, with Jose Carreras heading the jury. The competition is held every two years. The second contest was planned for the autumn of 2020, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65411






Greetings on Day of Local Self-Government



Vladimir Putin sent greetings to the heads of local self-governments and municipal deputies, workers of local self-governing bodies on the occasion of Local Self-Government Day.



April 21, 2021 - 10:00



The message reads, in part:

“The institution of local self-government has deep historical roots and traditions in this country, which originate with the approval of the Charter of the Cities on April 21, 1785 and the Statute of Zemstvo Institutions in Gubernias and Districts on January 1, 1864. District councils and city administration bodies carried out their mission in a worthy manner and managed to involve representatives of all estates in addressing local problems; they played a key role in developing education, healthcare and public enlightenment systems.

Today in Russia, municipalities have to accomplish no less responsible tasks. The state and improvement of the social infrastructure in cities and towns, efforts to stabilise the housing and utilities system and the improvement of territories largely depend on their effective performance. In this context, we are counting on you, the workers of local self-government bodies, on your professionalism, responsiveness and personal involvement, your ability to maintain permanent and constructive dialogue with citizens.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65419
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Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
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(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
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Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly



The President of Russia delivered the Address to the Federal Assembly. The ceremony took place at the Manezh Central Exhibition Hall.



April 21, 2021 - 13:20 - Moscow



The ceremony was attended by the senators of the Russian Federation, State Duma deputies, members of the Government, the heads of the Constitutional and Supreme courts, regional governors, speakers of regional legislatures, the heads of traditional religious denominations and public activists.






President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Members of the Federation Council, State Duma deputies,

Citizens of Russia,

Today’s Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly will be dedicated mostly to internal issues. These include, naturally, healthcare, social policy and the economy. Of course, I will say a few words about external affairs and literally a few words about security issues.

It stands to reason that I will begin with last year’s events, when our country and, actually, the entire world faced a new, previously unknown and extremely dangerous infection.

It that period, including during our meetings with experts and conversations with the leaders of many states, I often heard the following description of the situation: we are faced with total uncertainty. And this is how it really was.

I could see this from the information I received from the regions. The number of people who contracted the disease and needed to be rushed to hospital kept growing. Actually, all of you are very well aware of this. Many hospitals were filled to capacity and reported that they could run out of oxygen soon, including in intensive care units. Ventilators, protective masks and PPE were actually distributed by the piece. Shops were running out of basic products, such as cereals, butter and sugar, due to increased demand.

The epidemic was on the offensive. But although there was great concern, I personally had no doubt that we would pull through.





Citizens, society and the state acted responsibly and in unison. We rallied, managed to take preventive action, to create conditions that would reduce the risk of infection, and to provide medical personnel and citizens with personal protective equipment. We increased the number of hospital beds for coronavirus patients more than five times over, to 280,000 beds.

The brief outline of measures conceals the tremendous and intensive work of millions of people in all regions of the Russian Federation. I would like to cordially thank all of you for this. Everyone worked quickly, efficiently and conscientiously.

At that time and later on, we were analysing the situation practically non-stop. I recall vividly my visit to the hospital in Kommunarka. It was necessary to experience, to see at first hand the danger facing us and to assess the working conditions of medical specialists. They immediately found themselves in the thick of events and fought for every life, while risking their own.

Today, doctors, paramedics, medical nurses and members of ambulance teams are sitting here in this hall. Once again my heartfelt thanks to you and your colleagues from all the Russian regions.

Russian researchers made a real breakthrough, and Russia now has three reliable coronavirus vaccines. These and many other achievements of the past few years highlight the country’s growing science and technological potential.





I would like to thank everyone, every person who contributed to the fight against infection, including the workers at the plants manufacturing medications, medical equipment, personal protective equipment, and enterprises working 24 hours a day, housing and utility agencies, trade companies, the Russian business community that quickly converted entire sectors so that they could manufacture essential goods, civilian and military builders, agriculture workers who gathered a record-breaking harvest, one of the biggest in the country’s history, that is, over 130 million tonnes.

The personnel of law enforcement agencies and the special services continued to carry out their duty, and the Russian Armed Forces reliably ensured our country’s security.

I would like to underscore the selfless behaviour of people working for social services, orphanages, boarding schools, retirement homes and hospices who stayed and who continue to stay with their charges. You will certainly agree with me that, while analysing developments at these institutions, one feels proud of people who are carrying out their duty there in such a responsible manner. It could move you to tears. I would like to thank them once again.

I would also like to convey my sincere gratitude to school teachers and the lecturers at universities and other education institutions. You did everything possible to enable your students and pupils to gain knowledge and successfully pass their exams, with the involvement and support of their parents.

Russia’s cultural life continued unabated. Theatres, museums and concert halls remained open to audiences online thanks to modern technology. Everyone who works in this crucial sphere rose to the occasion.





Our people showed discipline and managed to observe, let’s face it, quite exhausting, but vital precautions. Thus, acting together, we have put up an effective barrier to the pandemic.

The people’s solidarity showed in concrete actions, in caring for the loved ones and in willingness to help people in need. Millions became volunteers and engaged in building person-to-person help routes. The nationwide We Are Together campaign brought together people from different walks of life and ages. As always during challenging times, our traditional religions stepped up to provide spiritual support to the society. I see the leaders of our religions here and I would like to bow deeply to you, thank you very much

Throughout history, our people have come out victorious and overcome trials thanks to unity. Today, family, friendship, mutual assistance, graciousness and unity have come to the fore as well.

Spiritual and moral values, which are already being forgotten in some countries, have, on the contrary, made us stronger. And we will always uphold and defend these values.

Colleagues,

The pandemic broke out at a time when the aftermath of the demographic shocks of the 1940s and 1990s converged. We realise that the current demographic situation is an emergency. Unfortunately, this is how things are. We must accept and admit it and do something about it based on our understanding of this situation.





Saving the people of Russia is our top national priority. This priority underlies the stipulations of the updated Constitution concerning the protection of the family, the important role parents play in bringing up their children, strengthening social guarantees, and further developing the economy, education and culture.

Our strategy is to return to sustainable population growth to make sure that the average life expectancy in Russia increases to 78 years in 2030.

Unfortunately, the statistics show us sad and disappointing numbers. We are even seeing a certain decline. It is clear what is happening because of the pandemic, but we will keep our strategic goals in this critical sphere unchanged.

I fully realise that this is no small feat, the more so as the coronavirus has not yet been completely defeated and remains a direct threat. We see the dramatic developments in many countries where the cases of infection continue to grow. We need to keep in check the defence barriers designed to slow down the spread of the virus along our external borders and within our country.

I would like to address all citizens of Russia once again. Friends, please stay alert. I am asking you to take care of yourselves and your loved ones and to comply with the doctors’ and sanitary services’ recommendations as closely as possible.





Vaccination is of crucial importance. I would like to ask the Government, the Healthcare Ministry and the heads of the regions to monitor this process on a daily basis. The opportunity to take the jab must be available everywhere, so that we achieve the so-called herd immunity by the autumn.

The attainment of this goal depends on everyone, on all our citizens. Please, I am asking all citizens of Russia once again to get vaccinated. This is the only way to stop this deadly epidemic. There is no alternative. The other choice is much worse: to contract the disease with unpredictable consequences.

I would like to say once again that the disease is still with us. But we must start thinking already now about healing the wounds it has inflicted and restoring people’s health.

During the peak periods, our hospitals and outpatient clinics had to reduce or even suspend scheduled visits. This increased the risk of the aggravation of chronic illnesses or the risk of missing the first signs of or correctly diagnosing new illnesses.

I would like to ask the Government, the Healthcare Ministry and the constituent entities of the Russian Federation to expand the system of medical check-ups and periodic screenings, taking into account the current epidemiological situation, and to relaunch them in full measure on July 1, 2021 for people of all ages. They must involve the largest number of people possible. This is why we will increase the supply of mobile medical diagnostic systems to the regions in the near future.





One of the targets of the coronavirus is the cardiovascular system. These diseases have always been the leading cause of death. Therefore, special attention during periodic screenings must be given to people with cardiovascular diseases. I would like to instruct the Government to take additional measures to prevent the diseases that are the main causes of premature death. As I have already mentioned, these are cardiovascular diseases plus malignant tumours and respiratory system diseases.

Hepatitis C claims many young lives. Decisions must be made to reduce this threat to the health of the nation to a minimum within 10 years.

To ensure that as many people as possible can restore their health at sanatoriums and health resorts, I propose that the 20 percent rebate programme for domestic travel is extended at least until the end of the year.

Children’s health is our special priority. Indeed, the foundation for good health for many years to come is laid during childhood. Children's rest and recreation activities must be made as affordable as possible. In this regard, this year, I propose reimbursing half of what parents spend on their children’s summer camps.

In addition, we need to expand opportunities for student tourism. Already this year, we must launch several pilot projects, including accommodation on university campuses and in dormitories in other regions for students who travel around the country during the summer.





And, of course, we must reward the young people who have done well in academic competitions and in volunteer and creative initiatives as well as the projects operated by the Russia – Land of Opportunity platform. For them, the partial reimbursement programme for tourist vouchers will remain valid during the holidays, aka the high season. This is a ground-breaking decision.

I wish to thank all the parliamentary groups which supported the decision on the taxation of high incomes, or rather, a portion of high incomes. These proceeds will go to the dedicated Circle of Kindness fund and have already been released to help children affected by rare and serious diseases, to purchase expensive medicines and medical equipment, and to cover the costs of surgeries.

On April 28, we will celebrate Ambulance Worker Day which was established as a show of respect to those who arrive first to save lives. These specialists must be provided with all necessary supplies. Within the next three years, we will make another 5,000 new ambulances available to rural communities, urban-type localities and small towns, which will replace the ambulance fleet almost in full.

I want to emphasise that public healthcare authorities in many leading countries – we are well aware of it and, in fact, they themselves are saying so – were unable to deal with the challenges of the pandemic as effectively as we did in Russia. At the same time, global health care is on the cusp of a genuine revolution. This must be recognised and clearly seen. We cannot miss it.

The pandemic has exponentially sped up the introduction of telemedicine, artificial intelligence and new approaches in diagnostics, surgery, rehabilitation and the production of medicines everywhere. We must put these technologies at the service of the people of our country.





We must build our healthcare system around this ground-breaking technology, and keep an eye on pressing everyday problems in the process. As we are all aware, they abound, mostly in primary care. There must be no such thing as waiting lines, no hassle making a diagnostics appointment or a specialist doctor appointment, or obtaining prescriptions and sick leaves, for that matter. This has often come up in our discussions lately. The funds have been set side and allocated. It is time to move quickly and efficiently to make it happen.

We have a backlog to deal with in healthcare and other social sectors, including many technical, financial and managerial challenges. However, what people need is qualified and timely medical help. I propose reviewing public healthcare problems from this perspective at an expanded meeting of the State Council some time soon. We will prepare for it and hold it shortly.

I repeat: we have gained some fundamentally new experience in fulfilling our social commitments. During the pandemic, we made direct payments to families bringing up almost 28 million children, and they received their benefits without any unnecessary paperwork or other kinds of red tape – they got the money they needed and were entitled to automatically. I know Government members have been working on this, focusing deliberately, not without some failures, but they have made every effort to accomplish this task, and coped with it. This is great, this is a good example. This approach should become the norm at all levels of government.

This is the essence of the National Social Initiative, which was discussed at a recent joint meeting of the State Council Presidium and the Agency for Strategic Initiatives.

I am calling on the regional governors: it is your direct responsibility to organise the work of local clinics, daycare nurseries and schools, and employment centres, based on the daily needs of families, of each and every person. In many regions, I have seen with my own eyes that such work has already been launched in certain areas. This needs to be done everywhere and in all social sectors.





As soon as in 2022, we must introduce the ‘social treasury’ principles. This means that all federal benefits, pensions and other social payments and services will be provided and paid in a one-stop mode, without having to visit dozens of different agencies, but simply upon marriage, the birth of a child, retirement or other life milestones. Within three years, the vast majority of public and municipal services should be provided to Russian citizens remotely, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, that is, on an ongoing basis.

Separately, we will have to discuss child-support payments, which are a sensitive topic for many families. Unfortunately, this is a problem in our country. This procedure should not be humiliating for anyone. Most issues here need to be resolved remotely and, most importantly, in the interests of the affected party. A mother with a child should not have to camp on the doorstep of various authorities to collect official documents, carrying her baby in her arms, and this is what usually happens. A system of interagency communication needs to be built, with banks included, in such a way as to ensure the unconditional execution of court decisions on the recovery of child-support payments. The state is obliged to protect the rights of the child; this is what we are talking about. I will return to this topic again later.

Colleagues,

We understand the heavy toll that the pandemic has taken on people’s welfare. Statistics show the aggravating effects of this outbreak on social inequality and poverty. It has been a challenge for all countries around the world – remember, all countries, not only Russia, are experiencing the same consequences. Certainly, we should be primarily concerned about the situation in our own country.

We are now facing price hikes that are undercutting people’s incomes. Some urgent decisions have been made, of course, but we cannot solely rely on targeted and essentially directive measures. We remember potential outcomes. Back in the late 1980s and the 1990s in the Soviet Union, they resulted in empty store shelves. But today, even when the pandemic was at its worst, we did not allow the same thing to happen.

The Government’s goal is to create conditions that will be long-term and which, I want to stress this part, colleagues, can, thanks to market mechanisms (which we have), guarantee the predictability of prices and quality replenishment of the domestic market. Nobody is saying that we will be setting prices from the top. There’s no need to muddy the waters and scare people. There are market regulatory mechanisms and they must be employed – promptly and to the extent required and appropriate to a specific situation in the economy and social sphere. We need to stimulate investment activity by reducing business risks. The two are not mutually exclusive.





Surely, the main goal right now is to ensure that people’s real incomes grow – that is, to restore them and secure their further growth. As I said, we need tangible changes in our fight against poverty.

Before anything else, the Government must provide direct support to families with children who are experiencing hardships. This has been our consistent policy and we will continue to pursue it.

We already have a system of benefits paid to parents of one or two children from the time the children are born and until they reach the age of three. Families with incomes below two subsistence minimums per family member are entitled to such benefits. The average monthly amount paid across the country is 11,300 rubles per child. Seventy-eight Russian regions pay benefits for the third child, also 11,300 rubles on average.

Please note that we are making consistent progress in this area, step by step. Last year, we introduced benefits for children aged three to seven. They range from 5,650 to 11,300 rubles per month depending on the region.

I instruct the Government to develop, by July 1, a comprehensive system of support for families with children. Our goal is to minimise the risk of poverty for such families.





But a number of new decisions need to be taken immediately, already today. It is always difficult for a single parent to raise a child. There are plenty of reasons for that. And this is not about the reasons but about supporting children. It is particularly difficult when a single-parent family is having financial problems, especially when children start going to school and family expenses objectively rise.

In particular, we must support single-parent families, where a mother or a father is bringing up a child alone, and only one of the parents is registered on the birth certificate – sorry to be speaking of such mundane things, but this is a fact of life – or the parents have divorced and one of them has the right to child-support payments. Therefore, as of July 1 this year, all children in such families aged between 8 and 16, inclusively, will receive a benefit. The national average of such benefit will be 5,650 rubles.

Of course, we must also help women who are expecting a baby and who have financial problems. It is extremely important for a mother-to-be to get support from the state and society, so that they can keep their pregnancy and know that they will receive help in raising and bringing up their child.

I propose approving a monthly subsidy for women who register at a maternity centre during early pregnancy and who have financial problems. The average subsidy for them will be 6,350 rubles a month.

Next, the sick pay for taking care of a child who falls ill depends on the employment record, which is correct, on the whole, and fair. However, young women receive much smaller sick leave payments. We have discussed this issue at the State Council, and it has been raised by the United Russia. We need to adopt legal decisions on this matter without delay, so that payments for taking care of a sick child aged up to 7 years inclusively are approved at 100 percent of the parent’s salary as soon as this year.





You understand what this means. The majority of those in this room know that the longer the employment record the larger the sick pay. Women who have a long work record usually receive full sick pay, but they usually do not have children at their age. Those who have children do not receive full pay. We must definitely help those who are expecting a baby.

I would also like to remind you that we have expanded and extended the maternity capital programme up until 2026. This benefit will now be paid already for the first child. We could not afford this before. The maternity capital has been adjusted to inflation and is almost 640,000 rubles

Free hot meals for all primary school children were approved as of January 1, 2020, and this measure has become a great help for families.

I would like to point out that all our decisions were designed to support our people. I know that many and very many people have financial problems now. The labour market and real disposable income of the people will be certainly restored, and we will move on. This has not happened yet. Therefore, I suggest approving one more one-off payment for the families that have school children, namely, 10,000 rubles per schoolchild. Moreover, this payment will also be made for the children who will only start school this year. We will transfer the money in mid-August, so that parents can get their children ready for school.

The updated Constitution of Russia includes clauses on demographic development, and protection of the family and childhood. They should be implemented in practice at all levels of government. I propose including a section aimed at supporting young people in each national project.





Friends,

During the pandemic, many young doctors and nurses, recent graduates as well as residents and students of medical universities worked courageously in the so-called red zones, joining their senior colleagues. In that extraordinary situation, teachers, schoolchildren, college and university students continued to teach and study, to have exams. Young family members supported their parents and older relatives. The youth of Russia proved to be extremely worthy during that period of trials. We can be proud of them.

We will do everything to open up as many life opportunities as possible for the younger generation. Their journey certainly begins at school, and I am sure that school will always be a second home for children; a new home, comfortable and modern.

Under the existing federal programme and with additional resources provided by the VEB Development Bank, we will build at least 1,300 new schools for more than a million children by the end of 2024. We will also purchase at least 16,000 school buses over the next four years. All school buses must be modern and safe.

Classroom teachers have been receiving a monthly addition to their salaries since last year. A very necessary and, I am sure, fair decision. I remember how we held discussions on this matter last year.

However, I have received requests, letters from teachers in secondary vocational institutions who say they have been forgotten. This is actually true. Justice must be restored. We have to fix this and establish the same additional payment of 5,000 rubles for supervisors of educational groups at technical schools and colleges.





I propose allocating an additional 10 billion rubles in the next two years for major repairs and technical equipment of our pedagogical universities. I ask the Government to pay close attention to up-to-date training of future teachers. The future of Russia largely depends on them.

Furthermore, school teaching teams should be expanded with teaching assistants, mentors and counsellors, whose job will be to organise exciting projects for children at schools.

It is very important that our young people should look to and be inspired by the achievements and victories of our outstanding ancestors and contemporaries, by their love for our Motherland and aspiration to make a personal contribution to its development. Children should have the opportunity to explore the national history and the multinational culture, our achievements in science and technology, literature and art in advanced formats. You know, I still open certain school textbooks occasionally and am surprised at what I see there – as if what is written there has nothing to do with us at all. Who writes such textbooks? Who approves them? It is unbelievable. They mention everything, the ‘second front’ and a lot of other facts, but not the Battle of Stalingrad – how is that possible? Amazing! I do not even want to comment.

I propose allocating an additional 24 billion rubles within the next three years to renovate cultural centres, libraries and museums in rural areas and small historical towns. This is another crucial area.

It is important to resume the activities of the Knowledge Society – we all remember well what it is – based on a modern digital platform. It seems to have been operational lately, but no one seems to notice it is there, either. Also, in order to support projects in culture, art and creative activities, we will set up a Presidential fund for cultural initiatives. Already this year, we will use its competitive grants to finance over 1,500 creative teams.





Colleagues,

A month from now, 11th grade students will be taking exams. Based on the results, most of them, about 60 percent, will enrol in universities and have their tuition covered from the budget. It can be safely stated that practically no country in the world apart from Russia has this kind of broad and free access to higher education.

In the next two years, we will make an additional 45,000 state-funded places available at our universities. At least 70 percent of them will go to the regions which need university graduates.

Starting this year, at least 100 universities in the constituent entities of our Federation will receive grants in the amount of 100 million rubles or more for opening student technoparks and business incubators, upgrading academic and laboratory facilities, and running training programmes. All state universities will be eligible for this support, including the ones that train future teachers, medical doctors, transport and culture workers. I am confident that the young generation of Russians, Russian scientists, will make their names known in the meaningful research projects that are yet to come.

This year was declared Science and Technology Year in our country. We realise that science is absolutely key in the modern world. Until 2024, Russia will allocate 1.63 trillion rubles from the federal budget alone for civil, including fundamental, research. But that is not all.

We are about to launch ground-breaking programmes in areas that are critical to our country. They will be given the status of nationwide projects. I would like to discuss some of them separately just to give you a sense.





First, we must have a solid and reliable shield to give us sanitary and biological safety. We now understand what it is about. It is imperative to ensure Russia’s independence in the production of the entire range of vaccines and pharmaceutical substances, including medications against infections that are resistant to the current generation of antibiotics. Importantly, this must be achieved with the maximum engagement of Russian-made equipment and domestic components.

In the event of an infection as dangerous as the coronavirus, or, God forbid, even more dangerous, Russia must be prepared to develop its own test systems within four days, precisely four days, and to create an efficacious domestic vaccine and start its mass production as soon as possible. These are the goals that we are setting for ourselves. The timeframe for achieving these goals is 2030. But the sooner we get there, the better.

Second, we need new comprehensive approaches to the development of our energy sector, including new solutions for nuclear generation in the promising areas of hydrogen energy and energy storage.

Third, we must find answers to the climate change challenges, adjust our agriculture, industry, the housing and utilities sector and the entire infrastructure to them, create a carbon utilisation sector, bring down emissions and introduce strict control and monitoring measures.

Over the next 30 years, the cumulative emissions in Russia must be smaller than in the EU. It is an ambitious goal, considering the size of our country and the specific features of its geography, climate and economic structure. However, I have no doubt whatsoever that it is a perfectly realistic goal in light of our research and technological potential.





Our new energy and pharmaceutical sectors and the solution of climate problems must provide a powerful boost to a comprehensive modernisation of all economic sectors and the social sphere. It is a direct path to the creation of modern and well-paid jobs.

The efforts taken by each level of government, business, development institutions and the Russian Academy of Sciences must have in view the main, central task: to improve the quality of life for our people. I would like to point out that our position on environmental protection is a matter of principle in this respect, and it will definitely remain unchanged.

The dangers of the alternative position have been recently exemplified by the events in Norilsk, Usolye-Sibirskoye and several other places. We will certainly help the people who live there, but we must also preclude a repetition of such environmental disasters.

I would like to ask those responsible to accelerate the adoption of a law on the financial responsibility of enterprise owners for clearing up the accumulated pollution and for the reclamation of industrial sites. This is a very simple approach. Here it is: if you have benefited from polluting the environment, clean up after yourself. We must act harshly. Rosprirodnadoz [the Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources] and other regulatory authorities must do their jobs.

I would like to add that the “polluter pays” principle must also be employed in full in the waste disposal sector to ensure transition to the so-called closed-loop economy. With this aim in view, we must launch a mechanism of extended producers and importers’ responsibility for the management of products and packaging wastes as soon as this year.





I also propose marking environmental payments to the federal budget. I know that experts and financial specialists do not like such special marks, but I see this as a vital sphere of our activity. We can make an exception in this case, and invest these funds in clearing up accumulated pollution and improving the environment.

Also, as I said, the amount of hazardous emissions in Russia’s 12 largest industrial centres must be reduced by 20 percent by 2024. We have already discussed this. Obviously, this goal must be accomplished through a comprehensive modernisation of the industrial sector, the housing and utilities sector, transport and energy.

Moreover, I propose expanding the emission quota system to all Russian cities with major air quality problems and introduce strict liability for non-compliance with environmental regulations. Of course, this requires transparent monitoring.

We will definitely support the efforts of businesses to upgrade their facilities up to current environmental standards. For example, upgrading will begin this year at aluminium plants in Bratsk, Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk and Novokuznetsk based on the state guarantee mechanism. I will later name other cities and towns in other contexts but it does not mean that our work is limited to those areas. They only serve as examples.

Colleagues,

Last year, we allocated unprecedented resources for supporting the economy. Among other things, we managed to preserve over 5 million jobs through subsidised loans for wage payments. I want to stress that this programme succeeded but it succeeded precisely because businesses acted responsibly and did everything they could to keep their employees. We could see that.





Unfortunately, it was not possible to prevent layoffs completely. I understand how hard it is for those who lost their jobs. The Government was instructed to ensure that the labour market recovers by the end of the year. Still, this problem must be solved sooner so that people can have a stable income again. The Government will be encouraging entrepreneurial initiatives and stimulate private investments that create new jobs.

As you know, last year, social insurance contributions for small and medium-sized businesses were reduced by half, from 30 to 15 percent. This decision will remain in force permanently and is not subject to review.

I instruct the Government to present, within the next month, additional proposals on supporting small and medium-sized businesses, such as tax incentives, accessible loans and expanding product distribution and sales, including to major state-run companies.

As for other decisions in the economic sphere, I would like to mention the following.

First, we have already scrapped many archaic norms and requirements in construction and other fields and discontinued many unnecessary control inspections, but we also need to increase the momentum to achieve substantive, clear and tangible results in improving the business climate. For example, building a turnkey factory in Russia should be faster, more economically efficient and easier than in other regions of the world, including countries with developed economies.





Furthermore, we need to simplify the working conditions for non-commodity exporters. We have certainly been pursuing this policy line for a few years now, but we still need to remove all excessive restrictions in forex control for these exporters. This is one of the problems. The new procedure should start functioning in July. We have discussed this matter more than once. All amendments to the legislation must be adopted as quickly as possible during the spring session.

Secondly, the talent of an entrepreneur is primarily the talent of a creator, an aspiration to change life for the better, to create new jobs. The state will definitely support this attitude.

In the modern world where the market situation sometimes changes almost every day, businesses have to deal with high risks, especially when investing in long-term projects. To address this, we will be adjusting the entire private investment support system. We will evaluate how effective the projects are by the new products, services, and technologies they provide people with and how they improve the potential of Russia and each individual region.

The Special Investment Contract mechanism has already been improved; we have implemented a new instrument – Investment Protection and Promotion Agreements. We have consolidated development institutions on the basis of VEB. Their job is to reduce the risks for investing private capital, to help in the creation of new markets and investment mechanisms, the same as with the Project Finance Factory mechanism already in place. It is currently supporting more than 40 commercial projects with a total investment of 3 trillion rubles.

I am waiting for proposals from the Government on the implementation of the ideas proposed in March at a meeting with Russian businesses. Colleagues, you are well aware of this.





Third, we are making all major decisions concerning the economy through a dialogue with the business community. This is the practice established over many years. Of course, we have the right to expect that the auxiliary financial instruments and support mechanisms will bring the most desired result, which is converting profit into investment and development.

There is an important thing I want to say although it is nothing new to businesses. They know it already. The corporate sector is expected to make a record profit this year, despite all the problems that we are dealing with. Despite these problems, this is the real picture. We will take note of how this profit will be used and, based on the annual results, we may decide to calibrate the tax legislation. I want to see specific proposals from the Government. Off the record, I should note: some withdraw dividends while others invest in the development of their companies and entire industries. We will be encouraging those who invest.

Last year, we substantially increased budget expenditure while managing to maintain the stability of state finances. The Government and the Central Bank must continue to pursue a responsible financial policy. Ensuring macroeconomic stability and containing inflation within set parameters is an extremely important task. I assume that it will definitely be accomplished.

At the same time, thanks to our budget capacity and our reserves, we can allocate more funds to support investment in infrastructure and provide regions with new development instruments. Launching these instruments will require the law to be amended. I expect that all parliamentary parties – A Just Russia, the Liberal Democratic Party, the Communist Party and United Russia – will uphold these amendments.

In this regard, I want to thank all constructive public forces in the country for their responsible and patriotic attitude during this difficult epidemic. These are not just meaningless words because it was this attitude and its practical significance that helped all of us preserve the balance and stability of Russia’s government and political system. This is always important but it is especially relevant because we are preparing for the elections to the State Duma and other government bodies, considering the extensive work we will have to carry out. I hope that this competitive mindset that unites us in the face of common goals will persist.





Colleagues,

The country is developing and moving forward, but this is only taking place when the regions of the Russian Federation are developing. A striving of the heads of constituent entities to make their regions successful and self-sufficient must be and will be encouraged in every way.

We will support those who assume responsibility and launch constructive projects. I am confident that every Russian region has huge potential. To help make positive and productive use of this potential, what must we reduce first of all? The governors know what I am referring to: we must reduce the debt burden. These topics must be thoroughly discussed once again.

I ask the Government to submit by June 1 the proposals on ensuring long-term stability of regional and municipal finance and on increasing the regions’ self-sufficiency. We will discuss them in summer at a State Council meeting, and we will do so with due regard for the priority decisions about which I will tell you now.

First of all, we must help regions with large commercial debts. Here is what I suggest: the amount of a region’s commercial debt that exceeds 25 percent of the given region’s own revenues will be replaced with budgetary loans that will mature in 2029.

In addition, I propose restructuring the budgetary loans, yes, budgetary loans that were issued to the regions last year for taking measures to combat the pandemic. I believe that this would be fair. I would like to remind everyone that these loans will mature in two months, on July 1. I suggest extending them to 2029 as well.





I would like to emphasise that the restructuring of accumulated debts should be used as a mechanism of increasing the self-sufficiency of regional economies, especially considering that we will be offering a fundamentally new development tool to our constituent entities. I am referring to the so-called budgetary infrastructure loans with an interest rate of not more than 3 percent per annum and with maturity in 15 years. We intend to allocate a total of at least 0.5 trillion rubles, that is, 500 billion rubles of such infrastructure loans by the end of 2023.

Regional debt restructuring must be based on the concept of justice, which has always been the case, actually. Some constituent entities have large accumulated commercial debts, while other entities did not take out many loans. The latter may feel neglected in this case. This will not do, and we will not permit this. We will support those who have always pursued and continue to pursue a balanced financial policy. The principle of the distribution of infrastructure loans will be as follows: the fewer debts a region had, the more it will be able to receive in infrastructure loans.

We are one country. All levels of government and business must work to one end. Debt restructuring and an innovative investment resource in the form of infrastructure loans will allow us to expand the planning horizon and to launch new solutions that are tied in with the implementation of national projects, sector-specific strategies and a comprehensive plan for upgrading the backbone infrastructure.

Federal infrastructure loans are a powerful resource, but whether they will help us get ahead or attract private investment hugely depends on what regional management teams do and on their ability to conduct an open and candid dialogue with businesses, investors, and, of course, primarily, individuals.

The infrastructure projects in the regions must be implemented, primarily, in the interests of the people, and serve as investment in the creation of new jobs and in promoting the well-being of millions of Russian households and securing the future of our children. The priorities will be building motorways and bypasses in urban areas, upgrading the housing and utilities sector infrastructure and the public transport system, as well as conducting integrated development of territories and building tourist facilities.





Please note that the infrastructure and budget loans will be fully under the control of the Federal Treasury and will be provided exclusively for specific projects that have been thoroughly analysed by experts at the federal level. While we are at it, I would like to say something to regional leaders and the Government: listen, let's work in a rhythmic and business-like manner. I do not want to use harsh or rude language at this rostrum, but things must be done on time and projects must be prepared, not just pictures shown to the Government. In turn, the Government must quickly process the projects and help the regions deal with things they have problems dealing with. You must help your colleagues, you understand that? Not trash what they have brought to you and say they did a bad job. Some of them are unable to do what you ask of them. Help them, and then things will be on the path forwards.

The scale of the projects may vary, but most importantly, as I said, they must benefit our people and open up new opportunities. For example, in conjunction with our major companies and using the proposed mechanism, the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area will begin the construction of the Northern Latitudinal Railway. This is the railway that will spur the development of the richest resources of the Arctic. This project has been in the works for a long time now, and it's time to launch it, since we can do so now. For example, as a result, Nizhny Novgorod will be able to continue building the metro and to start renovating the city centre. Chelyabinsk, another city with a million-plus residents, will also have the opportunity to upgrade its transport system through a long-standing metro construction project. I am aware of other similar projects in Krasnoyarsk and other regions.

And, of course, the construction of new facilities must be at a qualitatively higher level. I want the Government to draft a clear step-by-step plan for the end-to-end and widespread use of digital design, and the production and introduction of cutting-edge energy-efficient materials. This is also important if we want to tackle the climate and environmental challenges.

Large-scale infrastructure development sets fundamentally new tasks before the construction industry. In the difficult past year, it worked smoothly and built over 80 million square metres of housing. This is a good result. The more we build, the more affordable housing will there be for Russian families.

Therefore, we have an ambitious goal. We have already discussed it as well and this ambitious goal has not disappeared– we plan to build 120 million square metres of housing every year. That said, we must certainly envisage a special mechanism for supporting private housing construction.





As for large-scale construction, the DOM.RF development institute will attract financial resources through the placement of bonds. This is a tried and tested mechanism that generally works well. These resources must go to developers as targeted loans.

I would like to emphasise that federal budget subsidies will allow DOM.RF to issue loans to developers at a minimal annual rate of about 3–4 percent. The construction of residential neighbourhoods in Tula, Tyumen, the Sakhalin Region and Kuzbass will be pilot projects for developing this model.

Improvement of cities and towns and housing construction growth play a major role in the development of the regions. We must take care of the urgent, daily problems of local residents. Quite a few Russian families live in areas connected to gas networks but their homes still have no access to gas for some reason. It seems the pipe is there but there is no gas at home.

I would like to ask the Government to work out, in cooperation with the regions, a clear-cut plan for bringing gas to such households. In this context, I support United Russia’s initiative, notably, that people do not have to pay for laying gas pipes directly to the border of their land plots in a residential area.

As I have already said, the Government must analyse all details in cooperation with Gazprom and other companies and agencies that work in this area to prevent any setbacks. Otherwise, I will say something from this rostrum and people will be waiting for it but because you don’t put some squiggles or commas in the right place everything will get bogged down again. This is unacceptable, and I will check on it myself, so please pay attention. Mosoblgaz and other companies must understand what they must do, in what timeframe and how much money they have at their disposal.





The goal is certainly more extensive. We must offer every region our solutions on public access to reliable and clean energy sources. This may be electricity, including from renewable sources, or environmentally friendly use of coal, which is also an option in the modern world, pipeline or liquefied gas. I instruct the regional heads to prepare, in coordination with the Government, detailed plans of action and start implementing them next year.

For example, in Kamchatka we must envisage the creation of local gas-receiving infrastructure to ensure reliable long-term gas supplies to the residents and companies of the Kamchatka Territory.

Colleagues,

We will not only give fundamentally new development tools to the regions, but will also directly invest federal resources into the settlement of the worst systemic problems, which will have a compound effect on boosting the regions’ growth and improving the quality of people’s lives.

We will begin with allocations from the National Welfare Fund for building mainline motorways. First of all, we should finance the ongoing construction of the Moscow-Kazan high-speed road and, more than that, extend it all the way to Yekaterinburg, completing this project within three years.

This way, together with the existing Moscow-St Petersburg high-speed road and the Central Ring Road, this will ensure safe high-speed motorway transit across the entire European part of Russia, from the Baltic Sea to the Urals, by 2024.





However, it is not enough to simply connect the end-of-line destinations. What good will this do, if it does not change anything about life in villages or small towns but only gives the people there an opportunity to watch high-speed trains and vehicles rush past? The backbone infrastructure must definitely lead to the development of all the territories where it has been built, giving rise to the development of a modern regional network.

The constituent entities will now be able to use infrastructure loans to speed up the implementation of these construction projects. But in their development plans, our colleagues should remember and take into account that the federal and regional mainlines must function as a unified system in the interests of our citizens, businesses and regions. In this way, the infrastructure loans and the resources of the National Welfare Fund will be working for the benefit of all Russian regions.

The same goes for our new national project in the tourist sphere. A programme of easy loans will be launched soon to finance the construction and renovation of hotels and other tourist infrastructure. The interest rate on these loans will be 3–5 percent as well, and the loans will mature in 15 years.

There are many other pilot projects. I will only mention some of them: the development of Sheregesh, the leading mountain ski resort in Kuzbass; the creation of a yachting resort in the Bay of Balaklava in Sevastopol; and the development of the tourist industry on the Altai and in the Kaliningrad Region.

The infrastructure loans project will give a new impetus to entire tourist clusters. In particular, several regions in Central Russia will be able to modernise and expand the Golden Ring route at a fundamentally new level, realising the tourist potential of small towns such as Tarusa, Palekh, Murom, Gorokhovets, Tutayev and Borovsk. Development projects will be launched in the Volga Region cities, the Crimean resorts, the Black Sea and Pacific coast areas, as well as in our resort towns such as Staraya Russa in the Novgorod Region and Kavkazskiye Mineralnye Vody in the Caucasus, including its gem, Kislovodsk.





Russia is a hospitable country that is open to its good friends. You surely remember what happened during the 2018 football championships. As soon as the epidemiological situation allows, we will lift the remaining restrictions and millions of tourists from all over the world will come to Russia again. We have a practical task at hand: to ensure that e-visas for travel to Russia are available remotely and without undue formalities within a matter of four days in the majority of countries.

Colleagues,

The meaning and purpose of Russia's policy in the international arena – I will just say a few words about this to conclude my address – is to ensure peace and security for the well-being of our citizens, for the stable development of our country. Russia certainly has its own interests we defend and will continue to defend within the framework of international law, as all other states do. And if someone refuses to understand this obvious thing or does not want to conduct a dialogue and chooses a selfish and arrogant tone with us, Russia will always find a way to defend its stance.

At the same time, unfortunately, everyone in the world seems to be used to the practice of politically motivated, illegal economic sanctions and to certain actors’ brutal attempts to impose their will on others by force. But today, this practice is degenerating into something even more dangerous – I am referring to the recently exposed direct interference in Belarus in an attempt to orchestrate a coup d’état and assassinate the President of that country. At the same time, it is typical that even such flagrant actions have not been condemned by the so-called collective West. Nobody seemed to notice. Everyone pretends nothing is happening.

But listen, you can think whatever you like of, say, Ukrainian President [Viktor] Yanukovych or [Nicolas] Maduro in Venezuela. I repeat, you can like or dislike them, including Yanukovych who almost got killed, too, and removed from power via an armed coup. You can have your own opinion of President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko’s policy. But the practice of staging coups d’état and planning political assassinations, including those of high-ranking officials – well, this goes too far. This is beyond any limits.

Suffice it to mention the admission made by the detained participants in the conspiracy about a planned siege of Minsk, including plans to block the city infrastructure and communications, and a complete shutdown of the entire power system in the capital of Belarus! This actually means they were preparing a massive cyberattack. What else could it be? You know, you cannot just do it all with one switch.





Clearly, there is a reason why our Western colleagues have been stubbornly rejecting Russia’s numerous proposals to establish an international dialogue on information and cyber security. We have come up with these proposals many times. They avoid even discussing this matter.

What if there had been a real attempt at a coup d’état in Belarus? After all, this was the ultimate goal. How many people would have been hurt? What would have become of Belarus? Nobody is thinking about this.

Just as no one was thinking about the future of Ukraine during the coup in that country.

All the while, unfriendly moves towards Russia have also continued unabated. Some countries have taken up an unseemly routine where they pick on Russia for any reason, most often, for no reason at all. It is some kind of new sport of who shouts the loudest.

In this regard, we behave in an extremely restrained manner, I would even say, modestly, and I am saying this without irony. Often, we prefer not to respond at all, not just to unfriendly moves, but even to outright rudeness. We want to maintain good relations with everyone who participates in the international dialogue. But we see what is happening in real life. As I said, every now and then they are picking on Russia, for no reason. And of course, all sorts of petty Tabaquis are running around them like Tabaqui ran around Shere Khan – everything is like in Kipling's book – howling along in order to make their sovereign happy. Kipling was a great writer.





We really want to maintain good relations with all those engaged in international communication, including, by the way, those with whom we have not been getting along lately, to put it mildly. We really do not want to burn bridges. But if someone mistakes our good intentions for indifference or weakness and intends to burn or even blow up these bridges, they must know that Russia's response will be asymmetrical, swift and tough.

Those behind provocations that threaten the core interests of our security will regret what they have done in a way they have not regretted anything for a long time.

At the same time, I just have to make it clear, we have enough patience, responsibility, professionalism, self-confidence and certainty in our cause, as well as common sense, when making a decision of any kind. But I hope that no one will think about crossing the “red line” with regard to Russia. We ourselves will determine in each specific case where it will be drawn.

I will now say, just as I always do during the annual addresses to the Federal Assembly, that the improvement and qualitative strengthening of Russia’s Armed Forces continues on a regular basis. In particular, special attention will be given to the development of military education both at military school and academies and at military training centres at civilian universities.

By 2024, the share of modern weapons and military equipment in the armed forces will reach nearly 76 percent, which is a very good indicator. This share in the nuclear triad will be over 88 percent before this year is out.





Standing on combat duty are the latest Avangard hypersonic intercontinental missile systems and the Peresvet combat laser systems, and the first regiment armed with Sarmat super-heavy intercontinental ballistic missiles is scheduled to go on combat duty in late 2022.

The number of combat air systems with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, and warships armed with precision hypersonic weapons such as Kinzhal that I mentioned, and with the Kalibr missiles, is increasing. The Tsirkon hypersonic missiles will be put on combat duty soon. Work is underway on other modern combat systems, including Poseidon and Burevestnik, in accordance with the development plans of the Armed Forces.

As the leader in the creation of new-generation combat systems and in the development of modern nuclear forces, Russia is urging its partners once again to discuss the issues related to strategic armaments and to ensuring global stability. The subject matter and the goal of these talks could be the creation of an environment for a conflict-free coexistence based on the security equation, which would include not only the traditional strategic armaments, such as intercontinental ballistic missiles, heavy bombers and submarines, but – I would like to emphasise this – all offensive and defensive systems capable of attaining strategic goals regardless of the armament.

The five nuclear countries bear special responsibility. I hope that the initiative on a personal meeting of the heads of state of the permanent members of the UN Security Council, which we proposed last year, will materialise and will be held as soon as the epidemiological situation allows.

Russia is always open to broad international cooperation. We have consistently advocated the preservation and strengthening of the key role of the United Nations in international affairs, and we try to provide assistance to the settlement of regional conflicts and have already done a great deal to stabilise the situation in Syria and to launch a political dialogue in Libya. As you know, Russia played the main role in stopping the armed conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.





It is on the basis of mutual respect that we are building relations with the absolute majority of the world’s countries: in Asia, Latin America, Africa and many European countries. We are consistently expanding as a priority contacts with our closest partners in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, BRICS, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and our allies in the Collective Security Treaty Organisation.

Our common projects in the Eurasian Economic Union are aimed at ensuring economic growth and the wellbeing of our people. There are new, interesting projects here, such as the development of transport-and-logistics corridors. I am sure they will become a reliable infrastructure backbone for large-scale Eurasian partnership. The Russian ideas of this broad, open association are already being put into practice, in part, via alignment with other integration processes.

All these projects are not just geopolitical ideas but strictly practical instruments for resolving national development tasks.

Colleagues,

I began today’s Address with urgent healthcare issues, and concluding it, I would like to say the following. Nobody in the world knew what misfortune we would have to face. However, we, citizens of Russia, have already done much and will do all we can to counter the threat of the epidemic. Our country has reliable resources for this. We created them in healthcare, science, education and industry in previous years.

However, we must definitely move forward. We have mapped out national development tasks. Naturally, the challenge of the epidemic has made objective adjustments to our work. Today’s Address contains instructions on demography and family support, as well as on efforts to fight poverty, increase incomes, create jobs, improve the business environment and raise state management to a new level.





I would like to ask the Government to focus on these tasks in preparing new initiatives on Russia’s socioeconomic development and instruct it to present them by July 1 of this year.

What do I have in mind? Doing everyday work, we must certainly not forget about our strategic development goals and our national development goals, and we must improve the mechanisms for reaching them.

We will discuss the Government’s proposals with the participation of the relevant State Council commissions, our business associations, experts and the Civic Chamber. Following such a broad discussion, we will make final decisions on further financial and organisational actions at the meeting of the Council for Strategic Development and National Projects.

Now I would like to address all citizens of Russia once again to say that we will do everything in our power to achieve the goals set. I am sure we will move forward together and accomplish all the tasks that we have set for ourselves.

Thank you very much for your attention.



The National Anthem of the Russian Federation is played.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65418
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Old April 21st, 2021 #213
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Alex, why do you love communism so much?? Stalin (who wasn't even Russian) killed more of your own people than anyone else???
 
Old April 23rd, 2021 #214
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Alex, why do you love communism so much?? Stalin (who wasn't even Russian) killed more of your own people than anyone else???
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Old April 23rd, 2021 #215
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Congratulations on the 20th anniversary of the Russian Student Rescue Corps



Vladimir Putin congratulated members of the Russian Student Rescue Corps, one of the largest youth volunteer societies in the country, on its 20th anniversary.



April 22, 2021 - 09:30



The message of greetings reads, in part:

“Uniting energetic, responsible young men and women from many regions of Russia, your close-knit team befittingly continues the wonderful traditions of the national volunteer movement and the rescue service.

Together with representatives of special, law-enforcement agencies you are taking part in preventing and eliminating emergencies, natural and man-made disasters, providing real aid to people in trouble and ensuring the security of events at different levels. In complicated, emergency situations, you are invariably demonstrating excellent physical fitness, mutual assistance and the ability to act professionally and promptly.

Of course, I would like to highlight in particular your much-needed educational work aimed at preventing emergencies and teaching people how to stay safe.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65429






Congratulations on the 100th anniversary of the National Medical Research Centre of Traumatology and Orthopedics



Vladimir Putin congratulated the staff of the Priorov National Medical Research Centre of Traumatology and Orthopedics (CITO) of the Russian Ministry of Healthcare on its 100th anniversary.



April 22, 2021 - 10:00



The message reads, in part:

“The anniversary of the legendary CITO is a remarkable event for your team, for the medical community and for the tens of thousands of patients whom you have brought back to active life. You can rightfully be proud of the glorious pages of the Centre’s history and the wonderful traditions of mercy and selfless devotion laid down by your predecessors.

It is important that your team goes beyond what has been achieved, prioritising the development of diagnostic and treatment facilities and the development and implementation of advanced methods and technologies, which in many respects are unparalleled in the world.

I am sure that your experience, skills, sensitivity and responsiveness will allow you to continue to work with dignity, and most importantly, to help people.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65430






Telephone conversation with Minister President of Saxony Michael Kretschmer



Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Prime Minister of the federal state of Saxony Michael Kretschmer, who is currently in Moscow on a working visit to attend events of the Year of Germany in Russia.



April 22, 2021 - 13:20



The discussion focused on the prospects for expanding Russian-German relations, in which inter-regional ties play an important part.

COVID-19 response efforts were also at the centre of attention. Vladimir Putin reaffirmed Russia’s readiness to cooperate with German partners in this field, including the organisation of vaccine supplies and their joint production.

At the request of Michael Kretschmer, the President of Russia informed him about Russian approaches to resolving the intra-Ukrainian crisis. They also touched upon the situation around Alexei Navalny.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65422






Leaders Summit on Climate



Vladimir Putin took part, via videoconference, in the Leaders Summit on Climate. Organised by the United States, the event is being held on April 22–23.



April 22, 2021 - 16:10 - The Kremlin, Moscow






The President of Russia put forth Russia’s position regarding the development of broad international cooperation aimed at mitigating the negative consequences of global climate change.

On the Russian side, the summit was also attended by Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Alexander Kozlov and Adviser to the President and Special Presidential Representative on Climate Issues Ruslan Edelgeriyev.







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Mr President,

Colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,

Our discussion today has demonstrated our deep mutual concern over climate change and our interest in stepping up international efforts to resolve this problem. The success of our efforts will largely determine the future of the entire planet, the development prospects of every country, people’s welfare and their quality of life.





We believe that the universal agreements reached at the UN provide a reliable legal framework for the joint efforts of states to control and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

I would like to point out that Russia is scrupulously implementing its international commitments in this sphere. This concerns, first of all, the implementation of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. We have been working energetically to formulate modern legislation to ensure reliable control over carbon emissions and to stimulate their reduction.

Yesterday I delivered my annual Address to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, and one of the top priority tasks I have set in terms of socioeconomic development was to substantially limit cumulative emissions in our country by 2050.





I am sure that this task is feasible despite Russia’s size, its geographical, climatic and structural peculiarities. Let me recall that compared to 1990, Russia has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions more than many other countries. These emissions were cut in half – from 3.1 billion to 1.6 billion tonnes of СО2 equivalent. This was a result of the fundamental restructuring of Russian industry and energy over the past 20 years.

As a result, now 45 percent of our energy balance comes from low-emission energy sources, including nuclear power. It is common knowledge that nuclear power plants produce almost zero greenhouse gas emissions throughout their life cycle.

We intend to continue increasing the scale of associated gas utilisation. We will also continue implementing our large-scale programme for ecological modernisation and higher energy efficiency in all economic sectors. We will ensure the capture, storage and use of carbon dioxide from all sources and create the infrastructure for producing hydrogen as both a raw material and a source of energy.





I would like to mention in this context that Russia’s Sakhalin Region has launched a pilot project to create a carbon pricing and trading system. This project will allow this Russian region to reach carbon neutrality by 2025.

Obviously, the situation that provoked the global warming and related problems emerged a long time ago. What do we think about comprehensive solutions to these problems?

First. Carbon dioxide has been in the atmosphere for hundreds of years. Therefore, it is not enough to talk just about new amounts of emissions. It is important to absorb the carbon dioxide that has already accumulated in the atmosphere. It is no exaggeration to say that Russia is making an enormous contribution to the absorption of global emissions, both our own and those of others, owing to the absorbing capacity of our ecosystems, which is estimated at 2.5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent a year.





Second, we must take into account absolutely every cause of global warming. For example, methane accounts for 20 percent of anthropogenic emissions. The greenhouse effect of each tonne of methane is 25–28 times greater than a tonne of СО2. Experts believe that if we could halve methane emissions in the next 30 years, global temperatures would decrease by 0.18 degrees by 2050. The difference between this figure and the target set in the Paris Agreement is about 45 percent.

In this context, it would be extremely important to develop broad and effective international cooperation in the calculation and monitoring of all polluting emissions into the atmosphere.

We urge all interested countries to take part in joint research, to invest in climate projects that can have a practical effect and to redouble efforts to create low-carbon technologies to mitigate the consequences and adjust to climate change.





Third, I have no doubt that climate efforts should, of course, rally the efforts of the entire international community. Russia is willing to propose a number of joint projects and discuss possible incentives for foreign companies that would like to invest in clean technology, including in our country.

And lastly, global development should not just be green but also sustainable in the full meaning of the word – and for all countries without exception. And consequently, it should be closely connected with progress in such high-priority areas as efforts against poverty and closing development gaps.

In conclusion, I would like to emphasise once again that the Russian Federation is genuinely interested in stepping up international cooperation so that we can continue to search for effective solutions to climate change, as well as other acute global problems. In fact, this should be the goal of the current video summit.

Thank you for your attention.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65425






Meeting with President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko



Vladimir Putin met with President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko who arrived in Russia on a working visit.



April 22, 2021 - 18:20 - The Kremlin, Moscow







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Mr Lukashenko,

I am happy to see you. There are many events.



President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko:

Very many.



Vladimir Putin:

Life is taking its course, but there are fundamental things that concern our bilateral relations. We also have things to discuss in a multilateral format.

To begin with, despite the pressing issues that we are bound to discuss today, I would like to note that our relations are making steady headway. Last time we agreed that despite the pandemic and a certain reduction in trade, it is still substantial, almost $30 billion, $29.5 billion to be more exact. I know that we will restore all of it. There is every opportunity for this.

Our teams continue to upgrade the legislation on building the Union State. Indeed, there is still a lot to do in this area, but much has already been done, especially in the social sphere. Our citizens enjoy equal rights in the social area: pension support, social issues, employment and healthcare. We have already achieved quite a bit. There are other issues on which we must come to terms and coordinate our positions. This is generally going well. Our teams are doing a good job. I am referring to both the Government and Administration teams and now to a special services team.

We are deepening our military-technical cooperation and expanding our cooperation in security in the broadest sense of this word.

I am very happy to see you. Welcome.



Alexander Lukashenko:

Thank you, Mr Putin, for the invitation.

First, I would like to congratulate you on the end of yet another presidential period that I would describe as very difficult and critical. The annual Presidential Address is always a big job. You will agree that many people are involved in it. However, the President still bears the brunt of the burden: he must decide what this Address will include. We noted a big human touch in this Address.

I wholeheartedly agree with the conclusions made in the Address and particularly support your emphasis on people. The problems are the same; they concern the population. As they used to say before, our people are emancipated, very advanced. We do not always have what we want, so we must focus on the birth rate, and I will repeat this again and again.

We provide our people with similar support, especially families with many children. This is a priority in our country. This is why we approve of this.

At the end of last year you and I mapped out a programme for our presidential activities for the end of 2020 and for 2021. As you said, we met in Sochi twice and discussed various problems, not only current issues but also strategic goals. Last time, we agreed that our governments would do a serious job in Minsk.

Thank you. Mr Mishustin arrived and spoke as an academician. He is doing great. He did an excellent job there. He spoke about the economy, finance, taxation and the tax administration and the effectiveness of the taxation system. I will tell you about all this later. We came to a certain common conclusion. And, you and I also agreed that after studying these issues we would meet today and discuss them again. In June we will hold a forum of regions in the Moscow Region, and later we will decide on a meeting of the Supreme State Council in autumn, where we will be able to formalise our agreements by signing certain documents.

In general, we are making good progress on union programmes. Do you remember how we started with maps? Very serious programmes. Probably, we have coordinated 26 or 27 programmes at the government level. There are a few left – two or three very serious economic programmes, including taxation. We made a decision in Minsk on this well-known programme. So, I agree with you, we are moving forward bit by bit.

However, some pressing issues must be resolved, including security and defence in our Union State, although we are probably doing okay for now. I would rather put it correctly: we will deal with this. We will draw a line that nobody will be allowed to cross, and we will respond appropriately to those who do not understand that we must be calm and live in harmony in this hectic world.







Remark:

Mr President, may I ask you and President Lukashenko just a few questions? With your permission.



Vladimir Putin:

Go ahead, please.



Question:

The day before yesterday President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky offered to meet with you any place in Donbass. What will your response be? How will you reply?

If I may, a question for Mr Lukashenko as well. Ukraine refused, let’s put it that way, to work in the Minsk venue in the Trilateral Group. What do you think about this?

Thank you.






Vladimir Putin:

As for the proposal of the Ukrainian leadership and President Zelensky, I would like to say the following.

As of late, the current Ukrainian leadership took many steps that are destroying Russian-Ukrainian relations. This applies directly to a number of problems in bilateral relations. It includes their attitude towards the Russian Orthodox Church and attempts to destroy it. This applies to their attitude towards the Russian language and Russian-speaking citizens of Ukraine and Russian citizens living in Ukraine. Many steps have been taken to destroy our relations, which we can only regret.

However, if President Zelensky wants to start restoring these relations, we will only welcome this. A question suggests itself: what would we discuss at this meeting? If the discussion concerns the problems of Donbass, the Ukrainian leaders must, first of all, meet with the heads of the republics – the LPR and the DPR, and then review the problems with representatives of third countries, that is, Russia in this case. This is the first point.

Now the second point – if the matter concerns the development of bilateral relations, this is fine, we will receive the President of Ukraine in Moscow anytime at his convenience.






Alexander Lukashenko:

If they want to talk to Donbass, they can [meet] in Donbass. Let them meet, right? That is their business.



Vladimir Putin:

They should meet there first.



Alexander Lukashenko:

This is what I’m saying – he should meet with them there, in Donbass.



Vladimir Putin:

[He should] meet with them – the two leaders of these two republics, Denis Pushilin and Leonid Pasechnik. I believe this is the first thing to be done. Then these issues can be discussed with third parties, Russia included.



Alexander Lukashenko:

It seems to me it is high time for Vladimir Zelensky to learn, among other things, the code of diplomatic manners. So much for Donbass.

As for the Tripartite Contact Group in Belarus, Mr Putin, Mr Poroshenko – everyone who was there at the time, approached me, asking to organise [a meeting]. I said: “Agreed.” If they do not like it anymore, well, they can choose another country, but it is important to keep in mind that those people who proposed [Minsk as a venue for the talks] back then should reach a consensus on this matter. If Mr Putin, Mr Zelensky and other officials involved in tackling this issue agree on this, the group, of course, can work elsewhere. We have a saying: good riddance to bad rubbish. So after all we are not taking these statements very much to heart. You might have missed their statement, which they later refuted, that the President allegedly refused to even discuss this issue. This is nonsense. Is there anything to be discussed?





Vladimir Putin:

Belarus just provided the venue and is in no way interfering with this process.



Alexander Lukashenko:

Absolutely.



Vladimir Putin:

In no way. Belarus just created working conditions for those who want to seek solutions to the problem. If someone is unwilling to do this, then of course, reasons can always be found to not work in this very important, in my opinion, area. There seems to be a search for reasons exactly like this to avoid discussing the Donbass issue.



Alexander Lukashenko:

And to discard the Minsk Agreements in so doing.



Vladimir Putin:

Discard them altogether.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65428






Telephone conversation with President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon



Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon.



April 23, 2021 - 12:40



The discussion covered matters of expanding coordination within Eurasian integration associations, including in the context of Tajikistan’s presidency of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in 2021. There was also an exchange of opinions on the situation in the Central Asian region, in the context of developments in Afghanistan.

Both leaders reaffirmed their mutual commitment to further strengthening Russian-Tajik allied relations of strategic partnership. They agreed to instruct national agencies to jointly analyse certain aspects of practical cooperation.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65431






Meeting with Tatyana Golikova and Anna Popova



Vladimir Putin had a meeting, via videoconference, with Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova and Head of the Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare [Rospotrebnadzor] Anna Popova to discuss the current coronavirus situation in Russia.



April 23, 2021 - 13:00 - The Kremlin, Moscow







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon colleagues, Ms Golikova, Ms Popova.

A couple of days ago you watched the annual Address to the Federal Assembly. It was largely concerned with the coronavirus and the efforts against it, or rather ways to overcome its negative consequences in the social sphere and the economy.

We agreed to continue closely monitoring our efforts in this sphere, which is of crucial importance today. Therefore, I would like you to report on the current developments in the fight against the coronavirus.

Ms Golikova, please.



Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova:

Good afternoon, Mr President.

The Russian Federation Government, the Coordination Council chaired by the Prime Minister, and the Emergency Response Centre, together with regional agencies, are monitoring the coronavirus developments in Russia and beyond it on a daily basis in order to regulate its entry into the country to prevent any spikes in the incidence of the disease.

The situation differs from one region to another. A decline has been reported in 16 regions, 62 regions are in the stabilisation stage, and the number of coronavirus cases is growing in seven regions.

During the past month, the average daily number of tests was 204 per 100,000 people. However, I would like to point out that changes in the average number of tests have been reported in several regions during the past week.

I would like to use our meeting today to address the regions so they comply with the required standard – at least 200 per 100,000 people, which was approved long ago and which we have observed. It is essential to comply with this regulation to identify new cases on time and to provide these patients with the necessary assistance.

As for the number of reserve hospital beds across the country, it is quite sufficient. As of now, we have over 109,000 hospital beds, which is barely one-third of the number of beds we had during the peak periods. As many as 23,000 beds are connected to ventilators and 83,000 to oxygen supply. I would like to add that 28 percent of the already reduced number of hospital beds remain vacant now.

I would like to say a few words about the vaccination process, which is in full swing across the country. Over the entire period, 27.9 million dose sets have been produced, including 15 million sets already released to healthcare facilities. A vaccine that is currently under quality control accounts for the remaining amount, because, as you know, the law sets an extremely high bar when it comes to quality.

Almost 5,500 vaccination centres are operating across the country. More than 11.1 million people have received their first dose as of today, and 6.8 million people have received both doses.

I would like to note that we have repeatedly drawn the attention of the regional authorities to the fact that citizens aged over 60 and citizens suffering from chronic conditions or subject to regular medical check-ups due to their health must have access to the vaccine on a priority basis.

This group accounts for 47 percent of the entire number of people who got vaccinated. However, in some regions this percentage is lower. Therefore, I would like to address our colleagues once again and stress that they should give maximum attention to this category of vaccine recipients because they are more vulnerable and at risk of severe cases.

Also, I would like to point out that several of the seven regions who are still increasing their vaccination rollout have rather low vaccination rates. For example, Smolensk Region rates 53rd among the Russian regions. I would like our colleagues to note that this region has sufficient vaccine supplies and they need to expedite this process accordingly.

Despite the fact that the statistics I have just quoted show that the situation is more or less stable, as I have mentioned, we are monitoring it on a daily basis. April and May are considered unstable months in terms of seasonal respiratory infections, parainfluenza, and other outbreaks. Last year, as you may recall, we experienced seasonal morbidity along with a rise in coronavirus cases.

I would like to say that we have advised the Russian regions to proceed very carefully with regard to lifting restrictions and to maintain these restrictions based on the local epidemiological situation and local incidence rate. Obviously, they should also encourage people to get vaccinated. Mr President, you paid great attention to this matter in your Address to the Federal Assembly and Russian citizens two days ago. Once again, I would like to take this opportunity to encourage our citizens to get vaccinated. The vaccine is safe and efficient and it will help achieve herd immunity in Russia.

Thank you, Mr President.





Vladimir Putin:

Thank you.

Ms Popova, please, you have the floor.



Head of the Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare Anna Popova:

Mr President,

We are closely monitoring the situation with the coronavirus in the Russian Federation and other countries, actually in the entire world.

I would like to point out once again that the situation with COVID-19 (the novel coronavirus) is currently stable in Russia. As Ms Golikova has mentioned, during the past few weeks we reported a decrease in the number of new cases. The coronavirus incidence rate went down by 13 percent a week in March, but the figure has been below 1 percent during the past three weeks. There has been practically no change, and we have come to a standstill in some regions. The new trend points to the situation possibly becoming more complicated.

We have stepped up the efforts of our epidemiologists in the hotbed areas. As of now, medics are monitoring 930,000 people who have had contact with COVID-positive individuals who are under medical surveillance. This is a large number. There are four contacts per one infected person; that is the average for the reference strain which has been around for over a year.

As Ms Golikova pointed out, we are closely monitoring the situation with acute respiratory infections. There has not been any dynamic, either positive or negative, during the past three weeks. This is a feature of the season, actually.

The monitoring of the respiratory virus landscape we have been conducting since last August shows that the rhinovirus is dominating, while parainfluenza accounts for a large number of cases, alongside a comparable number of seasonal coronavirus infections that are not COVID-19 but are from the same family. The share of these cases is quite considerable as well.

Our scientists are very closely monitoring international information regarding the new mutated versions of the novel coronavirus. They represent a high risk, as all of us know. Therefore, three of our research agencies are analysing the information they receive from all possible sources.

I would like to note that last week five more countries have recorded the British strain, which in the opinion of our foreign colleagues is more contagious. In all, 137 countries now say that the British strain is circulating on their territory, and 85 states claim that they have recorded the South African strain. These five states have been added in the past seven days. And the Brazilian strain is recorded in 52 countries.

As per your instruction, the Russian Federation is conducting a thorough molecular-genetic monitoring survey regarding the actual spread of the new strains.

Today, we have thoroughly studied over 12,000 samples of clinical materials. We are working with materials from all 85 regions, and we have defined criteria for thoroughly studying these materials on a mandatory basis.

Every week, we detect more and more isolates. In the past seven days, we have recorded 255 versions of the British strain and 25 of the South African strain. We have located these strains in 51 regions. Actually, they are quite widespread.

I would like to note that most of these versions arrived from abroad, that is, when people return from other countries. In all cases, we implemented the entire range of essential measures, but we are working much more actively with these patients’ contacts. I can say that these people did not bring any severe cases here, but we observe 23 contacts per one infected person, so as to prevent the disease from spreading.

We have decided to suspend air traffic with the Republic of Turkey and Tanzania in order to prevent the further “importation” of these strains and their possible spread in the Russian Federation. In accordance with what you said in your Federal Assembly Address, we have strengthened sanitary-quarantine control on the border. This control has become much more substantial. We have increased the number of tests for everyone returning from abroad, and we have established tight control at all types of checkpoints, including aviation, maritime, land, vehicle and pedestrian checkpoints.

This range of measures makes it possible to prevent any snowballing of pandemic or the further large-scale spread of mutated viruses.

Based on the entire scope of our knowledge about the epidemiological situation in Russia, today we can suggest that there are currently no particularly dangerous tendencies. Of course, this should remain true subject to full compliance with all the current requirements, as you also mentioned. Yes, people are tired, but masks, social distancing, disinfection, and other requirements must be observed even as the weather is getting warmer.

Mr President, a meeting of the WHO International Health Regulations Emergency Committee was held this week, which came to the conclusion that, in view of what is happening around the world, the COVID-19 emergency status is still relevant and must be extended for another quarter. The WHO’s position here is absolutely clear. A representative of Rospotrebnadzor, who is a permanent representative to this committee, also took part in the meeting.

Looking back on the experience of the past year and knowing our habits and traditions related to the May holidays, we understand that when people travel to the country to spend time outdoors, it results in more intensive migration. The majority of Russians travelling outside the city use public transit, which is often overcrowded. It is good they are going to the country to breath fresh air. It is really helpful for curbing the epidemic. But this year, we have a long weekend followed by four working days followed by another long weekend. People will be travelling back and forth. In this situation, considering the fact that people will be moving around and sharing contagious agents with a great number of contacts, there are certain risks.

We consulted with Ms Golikova, our colleagues, scientists and medical professionals, epidemiologists and chief sanitary doctors in the regions. Our colleagues agreed with our proposal that the long holidays in May should be uninterrupted. It would help make the epidemiological prognosis more stable. We should give people the opportunity to spend time outdoors because people are really hoping for a break and I think everybody would be happy to get it. As far as the epidemiological status is concerned, it would be a very important decision for further stabilisation. I really do hope that you will support us.

Thank you very much.





Vladimir Putin:

Ms Popova, I have said on numerous occasions that I will urge all colleagues at the federal and regional levels to listen to the opinion of our specialists, the virologists and those who not just understand these matters professionally but who have been fighting infections, especially during the past year when they received diverse and detailed information about COVID-19. If you believe that this is necessary, we will do so, and I will sign a relevant executive order today.

I have a question for you: which of the strains that have been, unfortunately, identified in Russia as well are the most dangerous? How effective are our vaccines against these strains? I have heard various views on this matter, of course, but I would like to hear your opinion once again today, considering that more practical information becomes available every day.



Anna Popova:

Thank you.

Mr President, we have conducted a detailed analysis of the British strain, which we received late last year, at the Vektor Centre and are now aware of all its properties. We are also exchanging information with our colleagues at other research institutions. We also received and thoroughly analysed the South African strain. The first thing I would like to say is that neither strain is particularly stable in the environment, which is immensely important for us. They are sensitive to all disinfectants and can survive on surfaces for no more than 48 hours, and even less in some cases. In this sense they are no different from the reference strain we have.

It is believed that the UK variant spreads a bit faster than the ordinary strain. However, our research has not produced any proof of this. But based on the experience and knowledge of our colleagues in other countries, we can assume that it does spread more easily, that it has this feature. This is why we increase the number of contact persons when we come across these strains.

Foreign publications about the South African variant show that in some cases it can elude an immune response from prior infection in persons with a low level of immunity. Such research has been conducted, and we can see this. Our research has shown that high titres can protect you from this strain as well. Neither has our research detected any specific features of this strain in terms of post-vaccination immunity. Our conclusion is that Russian vaccines can protect people from all the coronavirus variants we are currently aware of.

We are continuing our research. We will certainly report to you if we learn anything new, and we will also inform the public. So far, this is what we know.



Vladimir Putin:

And do our test systems detect every type of strain?





Anna Popova:

Yes, Mr President. We have checked this element of our research project that shows how test systems detect additional new strains. All Russian test systems are involved. First of all, when a new strain appears, we ask the manufacturers together with our colleagues from other agencies, and first of all the manufacturers guarantee this. At the same time, we conduct systemic research and assess the operations of all the test systems, and we can find out whether they detect all new strains.

So far, we have detected no mutated virus fragments that can bypass the test systems or suppress post-vaccination immunity levels. Apart from the above-mentioned mutations, including the British strain, the South African strain and the Brazilian strain, there are very many mutations, and their total number is incredible. To be honest, researchers have to single out significant and insignificant strains.

We can also see a lot of changes in the Russian Federation. But such is the property of the virus, it lives and it must change. So far, we can see no changes in the Russian Federation that could influence its epidemiological specifications, including those mentioned by you, such as the ability to bypass tests and post-vaccination immunity and to become more contagious. There have been no such observations to date. But we continue this highly systemic work.

I would like to say once again that our tests can see viruses circulating in the Russian Federation, as well as reference and mutated samples. Immunity levels provided by Russian vaccines protect against all the strains now present in the Russian Federation that I have already mentioned, including reference and mutated strains now circulating in the Russian Federation.



Vladimir Putin:

Good, thank you very much.

Please keep me informed. I know that you are in control of the situation, and that sufficiently intensive work is proceeding all over the Russian Federation. I wish you every success once again. Please convey my best wishes to all your colleagues, and I am expecting regular reports from you, as the situation develops.

Thank you.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65432






Telephone conversation with President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi



Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the Arab Republic of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.



April 23, 2021 - 13:45



Taking into account the joint work that has been accomplished to ensure high standards of aviation security at Egyptian airports, an agreement in principle was reached to restore full-fledged air traffic between the Russian Federation and the Arab Republic of Egypt, which corresponds to the friendly nature of relations between the two countries and peoples. It was agreed that the relevant departments will work out the practical parameters for the resumption of flights from Russia to the cities of Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh.

It was stated that the Agreement on Comprehensive Partnership and Strategic Cooperation between Russia and Egypt, which entered into force in January 2021, will further enhance bilateral cooperation in various fields. In this context, the progress in the implementation of large joint projects in trade, the economy and energy, as well as coronavirus response measures, including the supply of Russian vaccines and the localisation of their production in Egypt, were discussed.

The leaders exchanged views on the efforts being made by both countries to promote a settlement in Libya.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65433






Executive order on non-working days in May 2021 in Russia



The President signed the Executive Order On Non-Working Days in the Russian Federation in May 2021.



April 23, 2021 - 21:00



In order to maintain the decline in the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), to improve the health of the citizens of the Russian Federation, and in accordance with Article 80 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the President resolved to establish non-working days on May 4 through May 7, 2021, with salary retention for employees.

Public authorities and other bodies and organisations were instructed to determine the number of employees needed to ensure the operation of these bodies and organisations on May 1 through 10, 2021.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65436






Executive Order on measures (countermeasures) in response to unfriendly actions of foreign states



Vladimir Putin signed the Executive Order On Measures (Countermeasures) in Response to Unfriendly Actions of Foreign States.



April 23, 2021 - 21:10



Text of the Executive Order:

To protect the interests and security of the Russian Federation and in accordance with the federal laws of December 30, 2006, No 281-FZ On Special Economic and Coercive Measures and of June 4, 2018, No 127-FZ On Measures (Countermeasures) in Response to Unfriendly Actions of the United States and Other Foreign States, I hereby resolve:

1. To restrict (including the imposition of a complete ban if necessary) the signing by diplomatic missions and consular agencies, representatives of government bodies and government agencies of foreign states that take unfriendly actions towards the Russian Federation, citizens of the Russian Federation or Russian legal entities, of labour contracts, employment agreements with workers (personnel) and of other civil-law contracts leading to labour relations with individuals on the territory of the Russian Federation.

2. To establish that the number of individuals on the territory of the Russian Federation with whom contracts may be signed shall be determined by the Government of the Russian Federation.

3. Contracts signed with individuals in excess of the number determined by the Government of the Russian Federation prior to the entry into force of this Executive Order shall be subject to termination.

4. Provisions of items 1 and 3 of this Executive Order shall not apply to citizens of unfriendly foreign states that arrive (have arrived) from such states as employees of diplomatic missions and consular agencies, representatives of government bodies and government agencies of the relevant unfriendly foreign states.

5. The Government of the Russian Federation shall:

а) compile a list of unfriendly foreign states towards which the measures (countermeasures) established by this Executive Order apply;

b) determine the number of individuals that are on the territory of the Russian Federation and with whom contracts may be signed;

c) submit proposals, as necessary, to alter the measures (countermeasures) established by this Executive Order and the duration of such measures;

d) ensure control over compliance with the labour rights of the citizens of the Russian Federation following the termination of their contracts in accordance with item 3 of this Executive Order.

6. This Executive Order enters in force on the day of its official publication and shall be valid until the cancellation of the measures (countermeasures) it has established.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65437
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Telephone conversation with Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan



Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan at the initiative of the Armenian side.



April 24, 2021 - 13:20



The parties continued their discussion on Nagorno-Karabakh. They noted with satisfaction that thanks to the efforts of the Russian peacekeepers the situation in the region remains stable and calm.

Opinions were exchanged on current issues of bilateral cooperation, including in energy.

Nikol Pashinyan informed the President of Russia on the developments in the domestic political situation in Armenia in connection with snap parliamentary elections scheduled for June.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65438






Vladimir Zhirinovsky received Order for Services to the Fatherland, I Degree



Vladimir Putin signed Executive Order On Awarding Vladimir Zhirinovsky the Order for Services to the Fatherland, I Degree.



April 25, 2021 - 09:00







Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia parliamentary party, has been awarded the Order for Services to the Fatherland, I Degree, for his substantial contribution to the strengthening of the Russian statehood, the development of parliamentarism and active legislative efforts.

Vladimir Zhirinovsky has been a deputy of the State Duma of all seven convocations; between 2000 and 2001, he was Deputy Speaker of the Duma.

On April 25, 2021, he marked his 75th birthday.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65434






Congratulations to Soviet and Russian military commander Vladimir Ivanov



Vladimir Putin congratulated Soviet and Russian military commander, Doctor of Military Sciences Vladimir Ivanov on his 85th birthday.



April 26, 2021 - 10:00







The message reads, in part:

“A talented military commander and an outstanding scholar, you have devoted your life to maintaining the state’s defence capability and security and to strengthening Russia’s potential as a great space power. Outstanding achievements of the national space programme are rightfully linked with your name and highly essential diverse activities. It was you who had the honour of becoming the first Commander of the country’s glorious Aerospace Forces.

At all stages of your important and responsible work, you invariably displayed extremely high competence and outstanding business and organisational qualities that won you well-deserved prestige, authority and respect. It’s gratifying to note that you remain loyal to your chosen profession and continue to work fruitfully at the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Centre, a leading space industry enterprise.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65444






Condolences to President of Indonesia Joko Widodo



Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences to President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo in connection with the sinking of an Indonesian navy submarine in the Bali Sea.



April 26, 2021 - 12:00



The President of Russia asked to pass on words of sympathy and support to the families and friends of the dead sailors and the people of Indonesia.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65447






Telephone conversation with President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov



Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.



April 26, 2021 - 12:15



The parties emphasized that Russia-Turkmenistan strategic partnership was developing successfully. In this connection, they discussed certain topical matters concerning bilateral cooperation focusing on the further consolidation of mutually beneficial trade and economic ties and joint COVID-19 response measures.

The two leaders touched upon preparations for the sixth Caspian Summit and the second Caspian Economic Forum, scheduled to be held later this year.

Vladimir Putin offered his profound condolences in connection with the recent death of the father of the President of Turkmenistan.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65441






Meeting with Central Election Commission Chairperson Ella Pamfilova



Vladimir Putin had a meeting with Central Election Commission Chairperson Ella Pamfilova. The Chairperson informed the President about the development of the Russian electoral system and preparations for the upcoming election campaign.



April 26, 2021 - 13:10 - The Kremlin, Moscow







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Ms Pamfilova, you wanted to talk about the work over the past five years, didn’t you?



Chairperson of the Central Election Commission Ella Pamfilova:

First of all, I would like to thank you for supporting, as always, several of our initiatives. As a result of your support, they have already been implemented. This also applies to the procedure for providing information on the convictions of nominees, increasing the powers of the Central Election Commission, and a number of measures aimed at the further dynamic development of the entire electoral system of Russia. Thank you very much, Mr President, it is really worth a lot.

But I would like to take advantage of this meeting and express my gratitude to my colleagues in the previous composition of the CEC for the tremendous work that we did together, because as a result of that work we now have a really very dynamically developing electoral system, which is open, transparent, accessible and convenient for our voters, and which is very responsive to the needs of society. Many thanks to everyone who took part in this.



Vladimir Putin:

I join you in your words of gratitude.



Ella Pamfilova:

Thank you.



Vladimir Putin:

We have a major election campaign to the State Duma and in the regions coming up.





Ella Pamfilova:

Yes, I agree. What is very important is that the main result of these five years has been a significant increase in the confidence of our citizens both in the elections themselves and in the electoral system. I believe that every day we should work hard to justify this confidence and to improve it.

For the first time, the same members of the Central Election Commission had to conduct three major election campaigns. The nationwide voting on amendments to the Constitution was, naturally, the main challenge. Thank God, the system withstood the test.

I have not spoken about it yet, but now I want to admit that in fact, there were more than enough of our opponents who wanted to, if not disrupt the voting, at least discredit it. That is, we worked in quite a difficult environment: all over the country, they tried to put pressure on election commission members so that they would leave the commissions, not show up at the voting and stop working, thus trying to destabilise the work of the commissions. But again, the system is stable, and it survived all that. Our colleagues in the regions came to literally everyone – in the taiga, tundra, at sea, on horses, helicopters and boats – to give everyone the opportunity to vote.

Our staff did everything in their power to reach everyone, and I think it is very unfair that our opponents – you like to call them partners sometimes – and those helping them often try, using ‘pseudo’ truth, to diminish the work of these wonderful people (there are almost a million of them; they mostly carry out a social mission), or even worse, to discredit their work.

There has been a stereotype for many years. You know this saying that it does not matter how people vote, but it matters how the votes are counted. I want to rephrase it like this: it is very important how people vote and it is no less important how the votes are counted, which depends on those who do the counting. And this stereotype exists, even though in some Western countries it is officials who count the votes and they believe that our commission comprises only officials who blindly follow the orders of their bosses and provide the result they need.

It is exactly the other way round, because the principle of forming the commission involves a system of checks and balances, internal monitoring and crosschecking, because at least half of the people in our commissions must represent political parties. And almost all existing parties and their representatives are present in the commissions. By the way, the law gives these parties priority to appoint representatives, including so that citizens can delegate their own representatives from their communities. That it, the commissions comprise people of various professions, beliefs and political stances, and represent the entire huge socio-political cross-section of the community.

Moreover, there’s this second, I would say, popular but false stereotype that has been hammered into the heads of the people that the electoral commissions are only and totally about officials. Under the law, members of municipal authorities and state officials cannot make up more than 50 percent of the commission staff. Over this time, their number in regional and territorial commissions has fallen by half to a maximum of around a quarter in some regions, that is not more than a quarter. And if we look at the largest commissions, the district ones, officials account for less than 6 percent. Can this be described as an internal administrative resource?

No, our commissions are a cross-section of our society.

As for the external administrative resource, major changes have taken place in the past years, and this resource has been reduced to a minimum thanks to several factors. First of all, a much tougher criminal and administrative punishment has been approved for collusion and falsification attempts.

On the other hand, we have created an extremely transparent system so that even if anyone has a desire to improve their voting results, their actions towards this immediately become public knowledge. In other words, we have made this system transparent for public control, which is a major achievement. We also have an internal control system, which I have already mentioned, and external control in the form of the observer community, which is one of the largest in the world. I cannot recall any other country with a comparable number of observers.

Moreover, we created one more system, the institute of public observers, in 2018. They complement observers representing the parties and candidates. Last time we had 255,000 observers during the elections, or at least three or four people per polling station. This multistage control system guarantees a reliable calculation of election results.

What else can I report? Our commissions are being renewed. New-generation members have been appointed to them; their average age is 42. They are people who are open to new technologies. Since the digital reality is not a distant future but is already with us, we have created unique software. I would describe it as an interactive notepad for our commission members, which is very important because they must have high standards of professional training. This is a kind of a virtual book for the commissions.

Here is an example. The Central Election Commission prepared similar books, in print form, for every election campaign. Each book had nearly 1,000 pages, and we needed to print some 150,000 copies of these thick books and to dispatch them to commissions all over the country.

An interactive notepad can save at least 6,000 trees a year, not to mention the cost of the paperwork. As an environmentally conscious person, I am all for digitalisation. Apart from everything else, digitalisation has one more huge advantage, the environmental component, which allows us to save not only temporal and social resources, but also non-renewable resources such as transport and fuel. I regard this as a very positive prospect, which is why we are working on digitalisation so energetically.

And of course, the most important thing is our Mobile Voter, which allows people to save both money and time, and it is very popular now: about 13 million of our citizens have used the app. Although quite recently, back in 2016, we used absentee ballots. Now, many probably have forgotten about that, but it is such an energy-intensive, resource-intensive and costly anachronism. Now, a person can log in to the integrated public services portal and vote anywhere in the world.

People with disabilities are especially grateful for remote electronic voting, which we are developing, because there are a lot of active people in this group, and this project gives them additional opportunities. Now, while improving the traditional form of voting, we are also very closely involved in improving the voting environment for this group of our citizens. We have moved almost 90 percent of voting sites to first floors, and already 60 percent of them fully meet all the barrier-free environment conditions, because many, especially young people with physical challenges, do not want to vote at home. They want to come to the polling station, and here volunteers help us, too. By the way, I want to say that we not only work together with volunteers, but last year, in this difficult year, many of our committed employees became volunteers and visited citizens in need.

But if we go back to digitalisation, QR coding of protocols has significantly accelerated their processing. In 2016, only up to 30 percent of all protocols of the Vybory (Elections) State Automated System were processed by midnight, while now the figure exceeds 90 percent. Moreover, we can avoid the human factor, technical errors and re-entry of protocols.

The video surveillance system, which was implemented throughout our country at your initiative, is the largest one in the world. And this is also an additional element of transparency.

The number of ballot processing systems has increased 2.5-fold during this time, because they are trusted by both parties and citizens; that is, we will continue to expand their use.

Our unique information centre provides complete information. We are developing digital services; approximately 17 are ready for operation. These services will be available to all participants in the election process, primarily for the voters and also for the parties and candidates. We are now preparing services for observers, the media and, of course, for commission members.

One of the most popular services, which we have already launched, will be used in the regional elections and we have tried it out during pilot projects. It is an electronic signature collection service, which allows collecting signatures through the unified portal of public services (gosuslugi). I hope that our legislators will support this idea soon, so that we can use it also during federal elections.

I can go on talking about what we have accomplished during this period of time. However, I would like to point out that digitalisation is not an end in itself but a means of additional improvements in the intrasystem network. Intrasystem management, personnel renewal, new training technologies and so on constitute a complex of measures we are taking to create comprehensive guarantees of the election rights of our citizens, so that nobody can question the legitimacy of our elections.





Vladimir Putin:

Ms Pamfilova, we are going to have elections in September. Hence my question: have you ensured the financial preparations for these elections?



Ella Pamfilova:

I would like to say that we are considering several options. When you issue an executive order setting the start of the election process in late May or the middle of June, we must be ready to say which format we have chosen. Depending on the pandemic and many other factors, we will have to decide whether the elections can be held on the same day or over a period of three days. Depending on the option we choose, we must take into account everything such as the availability of PPE and a number of other factors.

We have prepared several scenarios. I would like to say that we do not foresee any problems, thanks to your support, and the Government is meeting us halfway. In other words, nothing seems to be actually amiss regarding the scenarios we have.





Vladimir Putin:

Good.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65443






Telephone conversation with President of Syria Bashar al-Assad



Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the Syrian Arab Republic Bashar al-Assad at the Syrian side’s initiative.



April 26, 2021 - 13:40



The two presidents had an in-depth discussion on the topical issues on the bilateral agenda, above all the prospects for further development of trade, economic and cultural ties, as well as cooperation in countering the coronavirus infection, including supplies of Russian vaccines. The President of Syria expressed his deep gratitude to Russia for the comprehensive aid and support being provided to the Syrian people.

When discussing developments in Syria, the leaders focused on promoting the intra-Syrian peace process within the activities of the Constitutional Committee.

Bashar al-Assad informed his counterpart about the preparations for the upcoming presidential election in May.

It was agreed to maintain contact at various levels.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65445






Telephone conversation with President of France Emmanuel Macron



Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron at the French side’s initiative.



April 26, 2021 - 20:30



Particular attention was paid to the internal Ukrainian conflict. The two leaders expressed concern over the escalation of tension in southeastern Ukraine. Vladimir Putin drew attention to the provocative actions of Kiev, which is deliberately exacerbating the situation along the line of contact and ignoring the provisions of the Minsk Agreements. He emphasised the need for the Kiev authorities to strictly implement the previously reached agreements, first of all, those aimed at launching direct dialogue with Donetsk and Lugansk and legally formalising the special status of Donbass. In turn, Emmanuel Macron briefed the Russian President on the recent talks with the President of Ukraine in Paris.

Both presidents reaffirmed their intention to continue close cooperation between Russia and France in the Normandy format.

They also reviewed the developments around Nagorno-Karabakh. It was stated with satisfaction that the situation remains calm and systematic work continues to implement the Statements by the presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of Armenia on Nagorno-Karabakh of November 9, 2020 and January 11, 2021.

The parties expressed mutual readiness for coordination on various aspects of the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement, including through the OSCE Minsk Group.

When discussing developments in Libya, Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron spoke in favour of further facilitating the advancement of the political process with the participation of all key Libyan forces.

The two presidents also exchanged views on coronavirus response efforts.

At the request of Emmanuel Macron, Vladimir Putin commented on the current state of Russian-Czech relations, emphasising the absurd nature of Prague's accusations and actions against Russia.

The situation around Alexei Navalny was also addressed.

The leaders agreed to continue a regular dialogue on current issues on the international and bilateral agenda.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65450
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Greetings to President of the Republic of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa



Vladimir Putin sent greetings to President of the Republic of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa on the occasion of Freedom Day, the national holiday.



April 27, 2021 - 10:00



The message reads, in part:

“Relations between our countries are at a high level. Constructive bilateral dialogue and diverse fruitful cooperation continue to develop. Moscow and Pretoria are coordinating their efforts within the UN, BRICS, G20 and other multilateral organisations.

I am confident that we will further expand the entire range of mutually beneficial Russian-South African ties through joint efforts. This, doubtless, meets the interests of our friendly nations and is in line with strengthening security and stability at regional and international levels.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65454






Greetings on 20th anniversary of SUEK



Vladimir Putin congratulated the staff and retired workers of the Siberian Coal Energy Company (SUEK) on the 20th anniversary of its establishment.



April 27, 2021 - 10:10



The message reads, in part:

“The Siberian Coal Energy Company (SUEK) is rightfully considered a flagship of Russia’s coal and energy industry and transport logistics. These highly significant achievements were made possible by skilful and advanced managerial decisions and your team’s well-coordinated actions. Miners, their hard work and production successes play a leading role in your team. The company has a faultless business reputation, being created by highly skilled professionals. The company prioritises efforts to boost the safety of mining operations, to introduce innovative, environmentally friendly and resource-saving technologies. And, of course, I would like to note the company’s tremendous contribution to improving the social infrastructure of the regions, its active involvement in implementing projects in the sphere of demography, education, medicine, sports and the patriotic education of the younger generation.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65455






Meeting with members of the Council of Legislators



On Day of Russian Parliamentarism, Vladimir Putin met with members of the Council of Legislators of the Federal Assembly. By tradition, the Tauride Palace hosted the event.



April 27, 2021 - 14:15 - St Petersburg






The meeting was attended by the Council of Legislators leadership, speakers of legislative (representative) bodies of state power of the Russian Federation constituent entities, heads of the Federation Council and State Duma committees, and other representatives of state power.

The discussion focused on the implementation of the Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly of April 21, as well as the COVID-19 response effort and measures to overcome the consequences of the pandemic.







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon.

All of you are well-disciplined, everyone is wearing a face mask. Well, there is nothing we can do about this requirement of the time. Nevertheless, I can see and recognise all of you, and I would like to greet and welcome you at our today’s meeting.

I am happy to meet with you and to congratulate you on Russian Parliamentarism Day. Congratulations, everyone.

Almost 115 years ago, the first State Duma meeting opened here at the Tauride Palace. This is not just a memorable date, but an important milestone in the development of Russian statehood.





Colleagues,

I would like to thank you for your caring and respectful attitude towards parliamentary traditions that rest on high patriotic ideals and values and a striving to honestly, openly and proactively discharge your duty to the people and our Motherland.

Just like in the early 20th century, parliamentarians of modern Russia represent various political forces. But I am convinced that deputies at all levels, as well as senators, have always prioritised our country’s national interests, and that they will continue to do this in the future. This is the most solid foundation for consolidation, for our joint and well-coordinated work to achieve strategic goals of Russia’s development, for accomplishing key tasks facing society and the state in the economy, ecology, demography and, most importantly, in improving our citizens’ living standards and quality of life.

As you know, the Address to the Federal Assembly contains specific guidelines on these areas. Colleagues, in this context I very much count on our active work and your support. I rely on your vigorous, interested participation in implementing the proposed initiatives, their additional thorough expert analysis at your level and effective legislative support. Of course, I rely on continuous and meticulous parliamentary control without any favours, which is a very important part of our joint efforts.





Much in this context depends on your ability to organise work at the Council of Legislators. It is necessary to coordinate and closely link the law-making plans of the Federal Assembly and the regional parliaments. You must develop a constructive dialogue with the Government of the Russian Federation, heads of the constituent entities and their teams.

You know that a number of important initiatives in the Address are of strictly regional importance and are aimed at a comprehensive and balanced development of the Russian Federation territory and the consolidation of the financial base of the regions and municipalities. I will not go into details now. I am sure you have already looked into this problem and studied it inside out. I am referring primarily to the need to straighten regional budgets. To carry out large projects in the regions that are important for their residents, including via infrastructure budget loans that will be granted to the constituent entities for 15 years at an interest rate of no more than 3 percent.

I would like to repeat that this is a new and powerful development tool, and I hope it will be powerful. It must start working for the benefit and in the interests of the people. Hence, priority investment areas and specific projects must be determined with due account for the opinions of the people that live there. I would like to ask you, colleagues, as a representative authority, to keep this issue under special, constant control and to strictly monitor the fulfilment of all the decisions made on social support for the people, and in part, families with children.

You know that in addition to the existing benefits, together with you, we have, in fact, made these decisions on the consistent support of Russian families, in stages: first for children under three years, then from three to seven years old. You know, a new measure has been proposed: to introduce payments for children aged 8 to 16 who grow up in single-parent families. We all understand very well that children who grow up in such families are, unfortunately, in the most vulnerable position. This is not the last thing that we must do. Ms Golikova knows, we are working on these issues together. We will do everything step by step, but we will definitely do this. We will continue to build our programmes to support Russian families step by step.





In this case, expectant mothers who find themselves in a difficult financial situation will also be able to receive monthly payments.

Moreover, in August, as you know, we will make a one-time payment of 10,000 rubles to families with school-age children, including those who are due to start first grade on September 1. It is also clear why I mentioned this in my Address, distracting from the text: we proceed from the assumption that the labour market has not yet restored; unfortunately, unemployment is higher than the pre-crisis level, and although the trend is generally positive, the market has not restored yet. Real wages are growing slowly, but the level of Russian families’ income has still dropped during the pandemic, and families with school-age children need support in order to get their children ready for school on September 1, as they should.

The system of providing various social benefits has been set in general. However, I would like to ask you to carry out your parliamentary monitoring of each of these measures. And respond immediately if a person faces any difficulties there. You know this because you work with people closely and I often hear that, despite all the tried and tested mechanisms, including those using up-to-date tools and methods, there are still failures. If people cannot get what they are entitled to by law, it is necessary to respond as quickly as possible. Please use the entire arsenal of deputy and senatorial tools in order to quickly get to the bottom of the problem and help each and every citizen in such cases.

In the end, the analysis and synthesis of such practices help to improve the entire regulatory framework and the mechanisms used to provide any public or municipal services. The rules here must be fair and absolutely clear, and services simple and user-friendly. It is also important that they are available online and round-the-clock, which, as you know, was also mentioned in the Address.





Colleagues,

This autumn will be a time of federal parliamentary elections and important election campaigns will be held in dozens of constituent entities of the Federation, major cities and administrative centres.

Many of you and your colleagues, current deputies of different levels, are going to take part in the election campaign. Please show respect to all your opponents, and compete fairly, transparently and in strict compliance with the law and political ethics. Here Russia should be a good example to others too. Avoid idle talk and cheap unsupported populism. You know how harmful it is.

We constantly say: populism must be avoided. However, it persists in practice. Regretfully, we forget the negative experience of the past, including of the early 1990s. Empty promises were made, just to win the voters’ support. The result is that we cannot clear up some of the issues until now. What does it mean to promise something impossible? It means to arouse expectations which are never to be fulfilled, to deceive people and create mistrust in the entire country’s political system and rock it from the inside – that’s what it means. Please, do not bring back the situation the country faced in the 1990s, be responsible and honest with the people





I am sure that responsible political forces will not let anybody act that way and Russian citizens will make their choice without servile, sometimes dangerous prompts from the outside, breeding strife in the society.

Renewal of Russian authorities can only be ensured by direct and independent expression of our citizens’ will. Only they are entitled to decide who deserves to represent them, draft and adopt the laws by which the country should live.

I hope that the tension of the election campaign and political rivalry will not disrupt the steady law-making process, will not slow it down and will not affect the quality of implementation of the plans either at the State Duma or the legislatures in the Russian Federation constituent entities.





I expect all the plans to be realised by you in a professional manner and on time, including as part of our extensive joint work on implementing the Address.

I know well that everyone present here makes such national goals a priority. Thank you for your highly responsible attitude. I wish you success in your parliamentary activity and congratulate you on the upcoming major national holiday – Victory Day.

Thank you very much for you attention.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65456






Visit to State Hermitage Museum



Vladimir Putin presented unique items made to the order of Emperor Alexander II to the State Hermitage Museum.



April 27, 2021 - 15:50 - St Petersburg






Church utensils, part of a set to perform the mystery of the Eucharist, was made in 1877 in St Petersburg at the request of the imperial court to be used in the family chapel at Clarence House in London by Great Duchess Maria Alexandrovna, later Duchess of Edinburgh.














The President also discussed the State Hermitage development plans with its Director Mikhail Piotrovsky.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65457






Meeting with St Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov



Vladimir Putin had a working meeting with St Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov.



April 27, 2021 - 19:00 - St Petersburg



Mr Beglov briefed the President on measures to counter the coronavirus infection and preparations for the St Petersburg International Economic Forum scheduled for early June.

The Governor told the President in detail about the plans to implement the main provisions of the Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly and the socioeconomic development of the region.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65460






Vladimir Putin visited Pushkin ambulance station



During his working trip to St Petersburg, Vladimir Putin visited ambulance station No. 4 in Pushkin.



April 28, 2021 - 14:00 - St Petersburg






The President congratulated the ambulance station workers on their professional day, Paramedic day, which was established a year ago on the initiative of the President. Vladimir Putin also inspected the facility’s equipment and was given a tour around the control room, the PPE storage point, the training area and also the assembly room.








The ambulance station in Pushkin was founded in 1955, and its new building opened in 2019. Today it has 19 ambulance teams.








The facility also trains medical students: trainee doctors acquire their practical skills using dummy simulators and attend lectures on tactical medicine and methods for various emergency situations as well as training and exercises with simulation of emergencies; a mentoring system was also introduced.











The ambulance station’s fleet is renovated annually.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65463






Telephone conversation with Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi



Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi.



April 28, 2021 - 16:25



Vladimir Putin supported Narendra Modi during this difficult period of combatting the spread of the coronavirus and informed him of the decision to send emergency humanitarian aid to India. In particular, already today flights of the Russian Emergencies Ministry will deliver over 22 tonnes of necessary equipment, such as 20 oxygen production units, 75 lung ventilators, 150 medical monitors and 200,000 packs of medicine. The Prime Minister of India warmly thanked the President of Russia for the assistance provided, which is largely high-tech and is in great demand in the country.

The leaders welcomed the registration of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine in India and noted its high efficiency and safety. They also expressed their satisfaction with the fact that the Russian Direct Investment Fund had reached an agreement with Indian companies to produce 850 million doses of Sputnik V. The production is to begin in May.

Further development of bilateral relations of the especially privileged strategic partnership was discussed, including a schedule of contacts at various levels.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65465






Greetings to Avangard hockey team



Vladimir Putin congratulated the Avangard ice-hockey team on winning the Kontinental Hockey League 2020–2021 play-offs.



April 29, 2021 - 12:00



The message reads, in part:

“You have proved to be a tight, united team and showed the highest level of skill, perseverance and will to win. For the first time, you won the Gagarin Cup. It is a major, landmark event for the players, coaches, and, of course, for your devoted fans.

I would like to note that in the near future, all the necessary conditions will be created so that the team can perform at their home stadium in Omsk. It will be a spectacular gift for the wonderful Siberian city and, I am sure, will also expand the geography of Russia’s true hockey capitals.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65468
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Meeting with French business leaders



Vladimir Putin met, via videoconference, with leaders of several French companies-members of the Franco-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI France Russie).



April 29, 2021 - 14:20 - Novo-Ogaryovo, Moscow Region







The participants discussed topical issues of Russian-French trade, economic and investment cooperation, including the implementation of large joint projects.

Taking part in the meeting on the French side were Co-Chair of the CCI France Russie Economic Council, Board Chair, CEO of Total Patrick Pouyanné, CCI France Russie President Emmanuel Quidet, and top managers of Auchan Retail, BlaBlaCar, Leroy Merlin, Renault, Vinci, Saint-Gobain, Air Liquide, Legrand, Michelin, Danone, Orange, Pernod Ricard, Sanofi, Thales, Schneider Electric, and Credit Agricole Bank.

Taking part on the Russian side were Aide to the President Maxim Oreshkin, Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov, Healthcare Minister Mikhail Murashko, Minister of Economic Development and Russia’s Chair of the Russian-French Council on Economic, Financial, Industrial and Trade Issues Maxim Reshetnikov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media Maksut Shadayev, Energy Minister Nikolai Shulginov, owner of the Volga Group private investment company and Co-Chair of the CCI France Russie Economic Council Gennady Timchenko, as well as Director of the CCI France Russie Economic Council Pavel Shinsky.







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon.

First, I would like to note that the Economic Council of the Franco-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is still operational regardless of any difficulties. We are meeting for the fourth time since 2016, so our conversations can be called a good tradition now.

Today we will hold our discussion in a different format, via videoconference. Nevertheless, as always, I hope that we will have a frank discussion on relevant current issues of Russian-French trade and investment cooperation as well as the prospects for collaborative work.

France has been and remains a key economic partner for Russia, holding a high but not sufficiently high, 6thplace among EU countries in the amount of accumulated investment in the Russian economy and 5th place in the volume of trade.

Despite a certain decline in mutual trade in 2020 (it went down by14 percent compared to 2019) the ultimate figure is quite acceptable at $13 billion. French investment in Russia is hovering around $17 billion. Incidentally, Russian investment in France is $3 billion. It could have been more if the French regulatory and state authorities treated Russian businesses as Russia is treating French businesses. This meeting is attended by the heads of French corporations that are major investors in the Russian market.

Over 500 companies with French capital are operating in various sectors of the Russian economy. French business features especially prominently in the Russian fuel and energy complex, automobile manufacturing and, of course, the food industry.






Gentlemen, French companies are involved in the implementation of globally famous landmark projects, such as the construction of the Yamal LNG and Arctic LNG 2 facilities and the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project. We are aware of and regret the amount of political speculation concerning the latter. I would like to point out once again that it is a purely economic project that has nothing to do with present-day political considerations. But there are many rumours about it, which I see above all as unfair competition attempts in the European market.

Some political forces seem to believe that electricity simply comes from a plug, and nobody wants to bother and think just how it gets there. One of our satirical writers, [Mikhail] Saltykov-Shchedrin had a tale about a general who, when he lost his way in a forest, ordered his orderly to bring him some rolls and pastry as he thought that these grow on trees. It appears that some political forces are like that general, they believe that electricity comes from a plug.

I hope we will overcome these difficulties. Our plans include the construction of a hydrogen fuel facility on Sakhalin. Like you, we are keeping up with the times.

We appreciate that in a difficult economic environment, French companies operating in Russia have not reduced their activity. This testifies to your confidence in the Russian economy and the prospects for its development.

For our part, we have provided and will continue to provide general support to French businesses in Russia and to French investors. The Russian Government established the Foreign Investment Advisory Council, which, by the way, includes six French companies.





An opportunity to discuss in detail specific issues related to the economic and investment climate in Russia is traditionally provided at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, which will be held this year on June 2–5. As always, I invite you, friends, to take part in it.

I will brief you on what we have done and are doing to help businesses, including foreign businesses, and in general to stabilise the economy amid the difficult situation in global markets associated with the coronavirus pandemic.

First, we have successfully ensured macroeconomic stability, despite all the difficulties; we have ensured stability in the financial markets. At the same time, due to a well thought out budget policy, we have managed to increase federal spending aimed at supporting key economic and social sectors.

We have worked hard to reduce the fiscal burden on businesses in these conditions; legislation to remove regulatory restrictions is subject to improvement. In order to provide targeted assistance to the enterprises most affected by the pandemic, a new programme for concessional lending was launched this year.

At the same time, the state intends to increase assistance to the development of science and technology. Funds will be directed primarily to innovation sectors such as pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, nuclear and renewable energy, and the utilisation of carbon emissions.

Of course, we are interested in involving foreign companies that would like to invest in Russia and in projects we consider high priority. In order to do this, we will continue to use preferential investment regimes and execute special investment contracts, as you know. A lot of French companies successfully use these tools on the Russian market. For example, more than one third of 45 special investment contracts have been signed with European, including French, partners.





We will continue to attract foreign companies that localise their production to state purchases and to implementing the National Development Projects. Those foreign partners who have taken the Russian Government’s recommendations into account and have chosen to move their production capacities to Russia can now take part in tenders on equal terms with their Russian counterparts. The total volume of such tenders amounts to trillions of rubles, which is a significant resource for our economy.

There are good opportunities for French businesses in special economic zones. Today there are 38 such zones with a total volume of announced investment of 1.1 trillion rubles, and four French companies have already become residents.

We pay particular attention to attracting high-quality foreign specialists. Their employment is being fast-tracked, and their families can now obtain indefinite residence permits. We plan to launch a programme of ‘golden visas’ whereby we expect to issue a residence permit in exchange for investment in the real economy. You know, this practice is used in many countries. We thought why not use it in Russia too.

Let us move on to our discussion. Of course, I am ready to listen to the questions you have and to consider your proposals and critical comments. There will probably be some, because life is difficult and diverse and you probably have to face issues in your line of work that require our special attention.

First, I would like to give floor to Mr Timchenko, co-chair of the Franco-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Economic Council.

Mr Timchenko, please.





Gennady Timchenko, Co-Chair of the CCI France Russie Economic Council:

Mr President,

I would like to thank you for finding the opportunity to meet with representatives of French business. Our fourth meeting is taking place this year rather than last year just because of the pandemic.

The pandemic has changed the world, people and business. Unfortunately, it disconnects and isolates people. However, we are able to note that Russian-French cooperation is only growing stronger and consolidating. For example, Air Liquide provides oxygen to many medical institutions, including the covid hospital in Kommunarka. Danone has donated over 167 tonnes of products to hospitals. In different formats, all the companies that are present here have participated in this war for life, so to speak. It is not only during the pandemic that French companies have demonstrated such responsible behaviour. French companies in Russia are responsible employers and socially responsible members of Russian society.

As the Co-Chair of the CCI France Russie Economic Council, I would like to highlight the main facts regarding the business of French companies in Russia. Despite the crisis and the geopolitical situation, a number of French companies, previously not represented in Russia, launched production in 2020–2021. Companies already operating in Russia have localised the production of additional products that they previously imported. Companies such as Saint-Gobain and Danone have renewed their investments.

French companies have increased their export of products manufactured in Russia; they are investing in priority sectors of the Russian economy. For example, this year the French company Lidea is launching a plant called Tanais to produce seeds. Russia is dependent on the import of 30 to 60 percent of these seeds, according to various estimates.

Thank you again for the meeting, which in the current geopolitical conditions and information field will become an important signal for French business and the Russian side to strengthen economic cooperation, attract investment, and create partnerships on a new mutually beneficial basis.

Thank you for giving me the floor.



Vladimir Putin:

Thank you, Mr Timchenko.

It is a pleasure to give the floor to Chair of the Board of Directors and CEO of Total, Mr Pouyanne.

Patrick, you are welcome.





Co-Chair of the CCI France Russie Economic Council Patrick Pouyanne (retranslated):

Good afternoon, Mr President.

Once again, thank you very much for devoting your time to us. Thank you for meeting with the Economic Council of theFranco-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Today, 14 representatives of various companies are meeting at the Total offices. You can see them on your screens. Another two have joined us from other points of the globe. Today, we are meeting in a digital format but, of course, we are always more pleased to be your guests at the Kremlin. Let us hope this will be possible next year when our current efforts to counter the pandemic will allow us to have more control over it, if all of us are vaccinated.

Indeed, this is our fourth meeting today. It has become an excellent tradition as you have noted. The presence of 17 CEOs and deputy CEOs of French companies shows how important these meetings are for us. They reflect the interest of French business in Russia.

By 2020, twenty members of the Economic Council invested a total of 1.65 trillion rubles, supporting 170,000 jobs. These companies have operated in Russia for decades and continue investing in the Russian economy despite the sanctions and the epidemic. These companies help France maintain its status as the second largest investor in Russia. In 2020, France invested over one billion dollars in Russia despite the economic difficulties caused by the pandemic.

We rank first in the number of jobs among foreign employers. At our previous meetings, we managed to discuss very specific issues and to achieve certain success owing to your participation and, of course, the work of our co-chairs, Gennady Timchenko whom I welcome, and thanks to the involvement of all ministers of the Russian Government. And, of course, this was possible because of your personal support, Mr President. Let us hope that at this meeting we will retain the focused, professional style of our previous meetings. Therefore, I urge my colleagues to speak not only about the things that work but also about those that do not work.

Concluding these opening remarks, I would just like to say that we, economic operators, believe that everyone will benefit if Russia, France and all of Europe are not divided or isolated. This is the challenge today. Indeed, diplomacy must continue playing an important role when the number of differences is on the rise.

In the meantime, we are convinced that meetings like this create bridges between Russia and France through investment and economic cooperation. I sincerely wish to all the French companies here that you will have success in overcoming all existing obstacles.

Mr President, once again, thank you for your attention.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65469






Congratulations on 50th anniversary of Great Moscow State Circus on Prospekt Vernadskogo



Vladimir Putin congratulated the workers and veterans of the Great Moscow State Circus on Prospekt Vernadskogo, one of the largest circuses in Europe, on its 50th anniversary.



April 30, 2021 - 10:00



The message reads, in part:

“The Great Moscow Circus is rightfully famous for its unique architectural solutions, and, of course, for its unmatched atmosphere of kindliness and hospitality. It is a true centre of attraction for audiences of all ages and generations. A handpicked team of top professionals work there, and many of them represent the renowned circus dynasties.

You have carefully preserved the wonderful traditions of the Russian circus school and realise various and always fascinating projects. It is symbolic that you are celebrating your anniversary by holding the 9th Idol International Festival in your home arena. I am quite sure that it will become a spectacular event for the lovers of circus art.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65474






Condolences to Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu



Vladimir Putin sent a message to Prime Minister of the State of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu expressing his deep condolences over the numerous lives lost as a result of the Mount Meron tragedy.



April 30, 2021 - 10:25



“Russia shares the grief of the friendly people of Israel,” the President of Russia said in his message.

Vladimir Putin conveyed words of sympathy and support to the families and friends of the victims, and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65471






Executive Order on awarding title of Hero of Labour



Vladimir Putin signed the Executive Order On Awarding the Title of Hero of Labour.



April 30, 2021 - 12:00



Under the Executive Order, the title of Hero of Labour of the Russian Federation is awarded for outstanding achievements in labour for the benefit of the nation to:

Gennady Antokhin, captain mentor at the security and quality department of the Far Eastern Shipping Company in Vladivostok, Primorye Territory

Alexander Bondarenko, tractor operator at Kirov Ltd., Rostov Region

Murad Kazhlayev, artistic director at the Republican School for Talented Children, Republic of Dagestan

Viktor Polyakov, deputy general director – managing director of ODK Saturn, Yaroslavl Region

Lyudmila Suslyakova, crane operator in the blast-furnace shop at the EVRAZ ZSMK, Kemerovo Region – Kuzbass.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65473






Meeting with permanent members of the Security Council



Vladimir Putin held a meeting with permanent members of the Security Council via videoconference.



April 30, 2021 - 13:40 - The Kremlin, Moscow






The meeting was attended by Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Anton Vaino, Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, Federal Security Service Director Alexander Bortnikov, Foreign Intelligence Service Director Sergei Naryshkin and Special Presidential Representative for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport Sergei Ivanov.







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon, colleagues.

Today we will discuss a very important matter, namely the developments in the Caspian region.

Needless to say, this is crucially important for Russia. This applies both to economic activity and interaction with our closest partners and allies. And, of course, we are speaking also about ensuring the security and the interests of Russia in the Caspian region in general.

As you well know, we have been implementing major projects in energy. Plans call for not only the completion of the existing projects but also – representatives of our largest companies and the Government report on this – for the expansion of our economic activity and the activity of our economic operators.

Naturally, we understand that one of our neighbours in the Caspian “five” is Iran. There is much being done to resolve matters pertaining to its nuclear programme. I hope that everything related to the JCPOA will be restored to its initial state and we will be able to build relations with all participants of the Caspian club and implement all our plans, including those in the Caspian region.

Overall, let us talk about the entire range of issues related to ensuring Russia’s interests in the Caspian region.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65475






Greetings to veterans of the Great Patriotic War and visitors to the Moscow Government’s mos.ru portal



Vladimir Putin wished all the best to the veterans of the Great Patriotic War, visitors to the mos.ru portal of the Moscow Government, and participants of the Word of the Soldier of Victory project on Victory Day.



April 30, 2021 - 14:00



The message reads, in part:

“Years will pass, and decades will go by, but May 9 will always remain the most important, sacred holiday in Russia. Every Russian family will always be genuinely proud of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War who saved the world from Nazism and secured the gift of life for future generations. Moscow militia members and Red Army soldiers from Moscow who bravely fought at the front will forever remain among the defenders of the Fatherland.

I think this unique project fulfils a noble mission of preserving the memory of the war and is an important initiative Russia needs. The veterans’ memories collected in the archive, their stories about the dramatic events of the most brutal war of the 20th century, the rare photographs and documents are of exceptional historical, moral and human value. They are evidence of the unparalleled courage shown by the soldiers and commanders of the Red Army, their selfless love for their Fatherland, their unbending will and generous spirit. And of course, the publication of the Word of the Soldier of Victory archive will become a major, remarkable event as part of the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Moscow.

I am confident that such projects as your archive are very much needed today. They ensure the continuity of the traditions of patriotism and personal responsibility for the fate of our Fatherland and help educate young people.”

Mos.ru, the official website of the Mayor and the Moscow Government, has launched the Word of the Soldier of Victory project. Visitors can browse through the memoirs of Great Patriotic War veterans who now live in Moscow, read their biographies, and view photos and videos.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65479






Telephone conversation with Federal Chancellor of Austria Sebastian Kurz



Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Federal Chancellor of the Republic of Austria Sebastian Kurz at the initiative of the Austrian party.



April 30, 2021 - 16:30



The President and the Federal Chancellor discussed current matters of Russian-Austrian relations, including cooperation against the spread of COVID-19, as well as prospects for stepping up the work of various mechanisms of bilateral cooperation.

At Sebastian Kurz’s request, Vladimir Putin clarified Russia’s approaches to settling the intra-Ukrainian crisis, emphasising that the Kiev authorities need to comply with the Minsk agreements unconditionally and in full. When discussing the developments in Belarus, the Russian President underscored the unacceptability of external interference in Belarus’s domestic affairs. Participants in the conversation also touched upon the case of Alexei Navalny.

Sebastian Kurz thanked the President for the invitation to the St Petersburg International Economic Forum to be held in June and confirmed his participation, via videoconference, as one of the main guests in the main plenary meeting.

The Federal Chancellor suggested considering Vienna as the venue of a potential Russia-US meeting at the highest level if a relevant agreement to hold the meeting is reached.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65478






Greetings on Orthodox Easter



Vladimir Putin sent greetings to Orthodox Christians and all Russians celebrating Easter Sunday.



May 2, 2021 - 09:00






The message reads, in part:

“The Easter holiday, which embodies the triumph of life, justice and good, carries great significance and revives people’s faith, hope and their willingness to help their neighbours.














It is important to note the fruitful and highly needed activities of the Russian Orthodox Church and other Christian denominations aimed at securing civil peace and accord in the country and enhancing inter-faith and inter-ethnic dialogue. The Church consistently strives to promote lofty ideals and family traditions and to properly raise the younger generation, and it makes great efforts to solve current social issues. I should particularly note the Church’s continuous and selfless service, which has become stable spiritual support for millions of people in this difficult time.”

















Vladimir Putin and Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin attended the midnight Easter service at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, led by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65522






Greetings to Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia on Orthodox Easter



Vladimir Putin sent greetings to Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia on Easter Sunday.



May 2, 2021 - 09:10



The message reads, in part:

“Easter celebrations are taking place across the country today, uniting Orthodox believers in their high moral ideals, filling their hearts with love and the utmost kindness.

I am deeply satisfied to note that under your leadership the Church has taken an active part in the life of society and has made great efforts to preserve everlasting historical, cultural and family values. Today, just as always in difficult times, the Church’s selfless service is focused on supporting people spiritually and helping them to endure. Such responsible and much needed efforts deserve our sincere respect and acknowledgment.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65523
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Video address on the start of the final stage of the 10th Night Hockey League National Amateur Teams Hockey Festival in Sochi



May 4, 2021 - 16:00






President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Friends,

The final stage of the 10th Night Hockey League National Amateur Teams Hockey Festival opens in Sochi today. I congratulate you and all ice hockey fans on this event.

Russia is rightfully one of the leading ice hockey powers. We have given the world a stellar team of legendary players and coaches. Their unforgettable victories at the Olympic Games, world championships and the world’s biggest tournaments have become an integral part of Russia’s sports glory. I can say without exaggeration that the entire nation takes pride in these outstanding achievements.

Ten years ago, many outstanding ice hockey players stood at the origins of the Night Hockey League. Thanks to their enthusiasm and sincere love of hockey Russia once again became a trend-setter in this spectacular and exciting sport.

It is in our country that a project materialised of a strong public organisation that managed to unite hockey fans and veterans from Kaliningrad to Kamchatka and to ensure successful development of amateur ice hockey and its promotion.





It is vital that the Night League has been expanding and growing stronger with each new year and engages ice hockey enthusiasts and fans in its orbit. It has transformed into a real team of like-minded people who are dedicated, creative and strong-willed, always open to new ideas and ambitious initiatives, and ready for big sports challenges.

The Night Hockey League is certainly one of the most striking brands of today’s Russia, popular and in great demand, and an important component of the mass sports movement, which is on the rise today and has united millions of people across the country.

I believe that the current anniversary of the League will inspire its organisers to new brilliant achievements.

I wish you thrilling matches, fair competition and the most unforgettable impressions, and for the Night Hockey League to move only forward.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65526






Condolences to President of Mexico Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador



Vladimir Putin sent a message of condolences to President of the United Mexican States Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on the deadly collapse of an overpass on the Mexico City metro.



May 4, 2021 - 21:00



The President of Russia passed on words of heartfelt sympathy and support to the families and friends of the victims, and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65532






Telephone conversation with President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan



Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan.



May 5, 2021 - 16:45



The two presidents had an in-depth discussion on countering the spread of the coronavirus infection, including with consideration to the current epidemiological situation in Turkey. It was noted that Russia was ready to strengthen practical cooperation in this area, in particular, to promptly organise, starting already this month, supplies of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine. Work to examine potential joint production of the vaccine at Turkish enterprises is also underway.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan thanked Vladimir Putin for Russia’s assistance. Both presidents believe that the measures taken to fight the pandemic will make it possible to drastically improve the situation and resume bilateral ties in tourism.

They continued their discussion of current regional problems.

The parties noted the constructive nature of Russian-Turkish cooperation aimed at further stabilisation in Syria. Both presidents expressed their commitment to further coordinated work in order to promote an intra-Syrian dialogue within the Constitutional Committee, as well as to the uncompromised fight against the rest of the terrorist groups in several regions of the Syrian Arab Republic.

Discussing developments in Libya, it was agreed to continue supporting the efforts of the Government of National Unity to strengthen the country’s integrity, with due consideration for the interests of the main political forces and regions.

The discussion also touched upon the problems pertaining to the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement, including in the context of the work of the Russian-Turkish centre for monitoring the ceasefire and end of all military operations in the conflict zone.

The two leaders agreed to maintain personal contacts and promote a regular bilateral dialogue via other channels.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65533






Working meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova



The President had a meeting, via videoconference, with Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova.



May 6, 2021 - 15:10 - Sochi







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Ms Golikova. Good afternoon.



Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova:

Good afternoon, Mr President.



Vladimir Putin:

Ms Golikova, we met before the holidays, and back then, based on a proposal made by the chief sanitary doctor, took a decision to extend the May holidays and drop the workdays between May 1 and May 9 to try to remove some of the risk of people travelling in public transport and thus contribute once again to decreasing the threat of spreading the coronavirus.

Overall, as I imagine and see things, including from your reports, the decision proved to be justified, and the morbidity rate in our country continues to fall. The number of new cases is going down whereas the number of recoveries is increasing. Testing is underway, and vaccination is continuing.

However, the information reaching me, unfortunately, shows that there are things that we need to consider and adjust, specifically, the number of tests have gone down in some regions lately as well as vaccination rates.

I would like to hear your opinion on the overall current developments around the coronavirus infection in Russia. This is number one. And second, I know that one more vaccine is ready for registration today – Sputnik Light. I would like you to comment on that and explain to me what it is.

Please.



Tatyana Golikova:

Thank you, Mr President.

We are closely monitoring the epidemiological situation and compliance with restrictions in the regions in view of your decision to declare May 4 through May 7 non-working days, and we are also monitoring testing and vaccination in the regions, this is actually what you spoke about.

But first, a few words about the current epidemiological situation. As you have noted, it is stable. The weekly morbidity rate per 100,000 is 41.3 cases, the daily rate, at least in the past 24 hours, stands at 5.2 per 100,000 people. The biggest increases in new cases at 37 percent are in Moscow and St Petersburg, which is not surprising, we expected that. Besides, our colleagues are keeping the testing level fairly high and identifying new cases of the disease. The morbidity rate is on the decline in 32 regions, it is stable in 49 regions and there is some growth in four regions.

(Tatyana Golikova proceeded to discuss the age structure of the cases, and compliance with restrictions under the 2020 Presidential Executive Order on criteria for lifting restrictions. She also said that over 130 million tests had been carried out and 31.9 million doses of vaccines produced in Russia as of today. The top vaccine is Sputnik V followed by EpiVacCorona by the Vektor Novosibirsk Centre with the CoviVac vaccine by Chumakov Institute coming in third. As of now, 13.4 million people have received the first dose of the vaccine and 9.4 million have had the second one, that is, they are fully vaccinated.)

Now briefly about the Sputnik Light vaccine, which is to be registered today, you will remember that we discussed it a number of times as a possible alternative, as an additional vaccination option. Although the new Sputnik Light vaccine is, in fact, the same as the first dose of Sputnik V, it is also an alternative to it. It was designed to rapidly establish herd immunity in case of an unfavourable course of the epidemic. And it can also be used for people who have already been sick but have a low antibody count or no antibodies after an appropriate test. In any case, the designers believe that it can be effectively used. Obviously, additional monitoring will be carried out, however, our colleagues confirm that it can be effectively used.

I should probably add that the vaccine, as soon as it is authorised, will be used for people aged 18 to 60, and may enter commercial circulation after the price is registered and relevant approvals have been obtained from the federal executive bodies.

I have to add here that at present, the situation is under control, all support services, I mean the Ministry of Healthcare, Rospotrebnadzor and colleagues in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation are arranging the relevant processes in their territories in coordination with the work of the coronavirus infection response centre.

Besides, I might have omitted an important point. We hear, including from media reports, about the situation regarding the disease in different countries. I would like to say that as of now, testing is underway on the Russian border to check passengers from all countries, with which air traffic is permitted, so as to promptly identify cases and avoid importing the coronavirus into Russia.





Vladimir Putin:

As for our foreign partners, the issue is certainly not a political one, and we continue to state this at all levels. This is an issue related exclusively to medical restrictions. We understand that such a situation is extremely risky for many countries where tourism is crucial for the overall economy, especially during the peak travel season.

I believe that, with the help of specialists and our colleagues in those countries, we will be able to closely monitor the real situation there and take respective decisions for our tourists. I mean we are definitely interested in people being able to travel freely and have a proper holiday.

To my knowledge, today’s situation requires certain adjustments, and I would like to address not only our colleagues in the Government of the Russian Federation but also the heads of the regions and management teams.

Yes, we did extend the May holidays; Russian citizens are enjoying themselves, and this is very good, thank God. But this is not a reason for regional management teams to relax or neglect the developments in their regions, there can be no doubt about this. Testing volumes, vaccination volumes and rates must not drop off in any region. The respective mobile laboratories must deployed be where the people are, and today it is largely farming communities, dacha townships and so on. This must be dealt with, and the sooner the better. Especially if our colleagues see declining vaccination and testing rates.

As for our vaccines, it is good to note that this suite of tools is expanding and specialists will recommend the new vaccines to those for whom they are indicated.




Regrettably, today we see that fighting between pharmaceutical companies on the global markets is on the increase. As far as I can tell, the global markets have decided to support the US Moderna vaccine, which the US-European company Pfizer is fighting. It is fighting and behaving in the market pretty aggressively. But these are their problems.

As far as I know, partly from reports by our specialists, our foreign colleagues in the US said it would be an entirely innovative vaccine, very modern, and I hope this is what it will be, God willing. But that will be clear only ten years from now, after many years of using it and analysing the results.

Currently, all our vaccines are known, and now Sputnik Light will be available shortly. Our vaccines are based on technologies and platforms that have been used for decades. They are also quite modern and are undoubtedly the safest and most reliable today. As one European specialist said, they are as dependable as a Kalashnikov assault rifle. We didn’t say that, a European specialist did. But I think that’s right: as simple and dependable as the Kalashnikov.

But we, among other things, are the only country in the world that is ready to transfer, and does transfer, vaccine production technology to other countries. This process is already underway; it is ongoing. In certain countries vaccine production was organised with technology we shared.

We hear there is an idea in Europe, which I believe deserves consideration, to lift the patent protection from COVID-19 vaccines altogether. As far as I know, this would not contravene but actually comply with certain WTO rules which envision lifting such patent protection in emergencies; and the pandemic is certainly an emergency.

This is why I am asking you, Ms Golikova, to look into this and work it out. Russia would support this approach given that, as I have said many times, under these conditions we should worry less about profits and more about ensuring people’s security. And health security is only possible if the vaccines are used in the overwhelming majority of nations. This will lead to herd immunity, a common immunity in the broadest sense of the word. This concerns everyone, including our country.

So I ask you to focus on what we talked about earlier, this effort in the Russian regions; and will you please also think about that initiative and report back to me later.

Thank you very much.





Tatyana Golikova:

Mr President, we will do all of this. Thank you very much.



Vladimir Putin:

Thank you. All the best to you.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65534






Telephone conversation with Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu



Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Prime Minister of the State of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu on the initiative of the Israeli side.



May 7, 2021 - 14:10



Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu exchanged greetings on the 76th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. Since Victory Day is also an official holiday in Israel, the President of Russia extended his wishes for good health and well-being to the war veterans residing there. It is important that Russia and Israel together counter attempts to revise the results of World War II, glorify Nazism and deny the Holocaust.

The parties reviewed some current issues of bilateral cooperation, in particular, they expressed readiness to boost trade and economic cooperation and to soon hold the next meeting of the intergovernmental commission.

The leaders touched on a number of issues on the international agenda with a focus on Syria settlement matters. Benjamin Netanyahu spoke about Israel’s contacts with officials in Kiev.

It was agreed to continue the dialogue between security councils, as well as the military, foreign policy and economy agencies.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65538






Telephone conversation with President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev



Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.



May 7, 2021 - 14:55



The two leaders exchanged warm greetings on the 76th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. They stressed the special significance of this date for both nations that carefully preserve the memory of the unparalleled heroic actions of the soldiers on the front, and the home front workers.

The presidents expressed their satisfaction with the progressing developments in Russian-Uzbekistani relations of strategic partnership and alliance. They discussed topical issues on the bilateral agenda with an emphasis on trade and economic cooperation. They focused on the further promotion of cooperation to counter the coronavirus pandemic, including plans for vaccine production in Uzbekistan.

Discussing developments in Central Asia, including in the context of the recent events on the border between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, the two presidents welcomed the agreements between Dushanbe and Bishkek to settle the conflict by political and diplomatic means, reaffirming their willingness to provide comprehensive support to further stabilise the situation.

The sides agreed to maintain contact at various levels.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65539






Greetings to foreign state leaders and citizens on 76th anniversary of Victory in Great Patriotic War



May 8, 2021 - 12:05



Vladimir Putin sent his greetings to the leaders and citizens of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldavia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Abkhazia, South Ossetia and the peoples of Georgia and Ukraine on the occasion of the 76th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

Vladimir Putin stressed that on this day we feel special pride and gratitude as we honour the heroic deeds of our fathers and grandfathers, who bravely fought shoulder to shoulder against the enemy and selflessly worked on the home front.

“Today, our moral duty is to preserve with care and pass on to the next generations the memories of those difficult years. We should decisively together oppose any attempts to distort and falsify history, revise the results of the Great Patriotic War or justify the heinous crimes committed by the Nazis and their accomplices,” noted Vladimir Putin.

The President of Russia expressed his confidence that the traditions of fraternal friendship and mutual assistance, tempered during the harsh times of war, have been and remain an unshakeable foundation for building and developing constructive and goodneighbourly relations between our countries and peoples.

Vladimir Putin conveyed his sincere gratitude to all veterans of the Great Patriotic War and workers on the home front, wishing them health, wellbeing, good spirits and many years of life.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65541






Telephone conversation with President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev



Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.



May 8, 2021 - 12:20



The heads of state warmly congratulated each other on the 76th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The leaders underscored the special significance of this common holiday for the peoples of their countries who treasure the memory of those who heroically fought the enemy and those who worked selflessly on the home front.

They also discussed a number of practical issues on the bilateral agenda with an emphasis on trade and economic cooperation and interaction in combatting the coronavirus pandemic.

The leaders exchanged opinions on the progress of joint efforts to promote integration processes within the EAEU and touched on various aspects of regional security.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65542
__________________
Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
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