“The formation of the common customs space of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan marks the first step towards restoring the natural economic and trade ties in the post-Soviet space,” the Russian prime minister said.

“We want to be appraised of every possible perspective. Even if at first glance they seem incompatible and diametrically opposed, I believe that we should be aware of all possible approaches to these issues. Only by holding a broad professional dialogue will we be able to find balanced solutions and eventually guarantee an effective programme of national development.”

The meeting focused on the fisheries sector’s results in the past six months as well as the cost of railway transportation of fish and seafood, their pricing and sales. One of the issues discussed was a law on amateur fishing.

The governor reported that in the past six months the region’s industrial production has increased by 9.4% while the region’s GDP has increased by 8%. The housing construction is steady. Valery Serdyukov also reported on the current state of education and healthcare.

Speaking to the main shareholders and managers of Russian oil companies, the prime minister said, “You work in the Russian Federation. You obtain licenses to use the mineral resources, but these resources are owned by the Russian people,” adding that “the state will exercise its right to regulate these activities, and the companies should be responsible for making high-quality petroleum products available on the domestic market.”

“Our cities have been through all the ups and downs of the past centuries, as well as the most dramatic event of the 20th century – World War II. They sustained terrible destruction and losses, but recovered. Now they are forging ahead and looking towards the future.”