“The border should be open and accessible for all law-abiding people, and barriers must not be put up against legitimate business transactions, cross-border cooperation or the realisation of Russia’s vast transit potential.”

Prime Minister Putin and Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment Yuri Trutnev discussed efforts to improve national parks and nature reserves in order to assure a high quality of environmental tourism services. Vladimir Putin pointed out that even low-income individuals should be able to afford visits to these parks and nature reserves.

The two officials discussed the Federation of Independent Trade Unions’ role in drafting the Russian Popular Front’s programme. Vladimir Putin emphasised: “It is important that we produce a complete document that will clearly and unambiguously outline the goals we set for ourselves. It needs to be a tool that will take us to those goals by the shortest possible way. And they must be attainable.”

The focus of the meeting was on measures to increase supply on the domestic petroleum products market, in part by transitioning to a new system of taxation for the industry. Mr Sechin also reported to Mr Putin on the implementation of the prime minister’s order on concluding defence procurement contracts, particularly in shipbuilding.

The governor told Mr Putin about the current socio-economic situation in the region, highlighting a 1.8 billion rouble increase in regional enterprises’ earnings year-on-year. The prime minister, for his part, wondered how preparations for the new academic year are going and whether the region plans on further raise of school teacher pay any time soon to match the average wage for the regional economy.

“Thanks to the Health national project we have managed to solve the most acute problems in healthcare. I repeat, only the most pressing problems. Now, under regional programmes, we must effect qualitative change in improving healthcare in the Russian regions. This is above all about upgrading the quality of medical help on offer, ensuring it is accessible and of course, it is about decent pay for medical professionals, medical workers.”