“Today’s meeting should mark an important step toward preparing draft budgets for 2013 and 2014-2015. We’ll need to do the groundwork by laying down tax and customs policy guidelines and economic development projections for the next three years.”
The sides discussed joint work on different Russian- Italian international projects in oil and gas production. Prime Minister Putin also discussed with Antonio Zanardi Landi the possibility of a visit to Russia by Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti.
Mr Putin and Mr Miklushevsky discussed the territory’s socio-economic development and the implementation of new projects, including those in the automotive and petro-chemical industries. They also discussed the progress of modernisation of school education and healthcare. Mr Putin focused attention on the Far Eastern Federal University and its subsequent development, stressing that the university should become an intellectual centre capable of training highly skilled professionals for traditional sectors and for the new economy.
In his address at the meeting Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said that in Russian politics “the president is primarily a consolidating figure for all political forces and citizens.” He added that he considers it proper to resign as chairman of the United Russia party after his inauguration. However, he expressed confidence that he would continue to actively work with the party. “I count on your support in the implementation of the tasks that I formulated as a presidential candidate in this election cycle,” the prime minister said.
The prime minister and the governor discussed issues related to the region’s socio-economic development in 2011 and the first quarter of this year, including the situation in the manufacturing and residential construction sectors. Mr Putin inquired about progress in the region’s healthcare modernization programme and asked about the salaries of teachers and doctors. Mr Belykh told the prime minister that in March 2012 the teachers’ salary was 54% higher than in March of the previous year, and its level is expected to reach that of the average salary in the region this year.
“We need to develop an effective and reliable long-term planning and forecasting system which would help us identify growth trends and lay out the steps to be taken in each of the priority areas, which include improving living standards, poverty reduction, creating millions of new modern jobs, economic modernisation, increasing the share of innovative industries and high-tech exports, as well as developing industrial and transport infrastructure.”