Prime Minster Vladimir Putin visits GAZ Group during his working trip to Nizhny Novgorod

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin meets with Daimler AG Chairman of the Board Dieter Zetsche at the Gorky Automobile Plant

At the meeting, Prime Minister Putin emphasised that Russia’s joint projects with Daimler are of great national interest, in terms of both the overall future of the auto industry and Moscow’s plans to localise production. In turn, Dieter Zetsche noted that his company has never received government support as readily as it has from Russia.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting to review progress in the automobile industry development strategy until 2020

“The industry is making a recovery and we can move on from reacting to the crisis to tackling systemic long-term tasks, especially attracting investments and technological modernization.”

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin meets with Nizhny Novgorod Region Governor Valery Shantsev

Governor Shantsev told the prime minister that the gross regional product in the Nizhny Novgorod Region has already exceeded pre-crisis levels. But there are some problems – investment being the most acute – that have yet to be solved. During the meeting, special attention was paid to the programme to modernise the healthcare system, which, according to the prime minister, will elevate healthcare services to a new level.

On a working visit to St Petersburg, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin holds a video conference with officials at the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station to celebrate the restoration of power unit No. 3 after a recent accident

“Tests on one more turbine are starting today. This turbine will become operational by the end of this year, producing an additional 640 MW of power for Siberia, which will greatly improve energy security in Altai, Kuzbass, Khakasia and the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Overall, the first stage of Sayano-Shushenskaya’s restoration has been completed.”

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin meets with Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan in St Petersburg

During the meeting Vladimir Putin stressed that Russia had supported Armenia throughout the economic crisis and, through soft loans, managed to shore up both the level of bilateral trade and Russia’s investment in the Armenian economy.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visits the Moskovsky sports and fitness centre in St Petersburg and takes part in a practice for Russian wrestlers

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin attends the unveiling of a WWII monument in Moscow’s Poklonnaya Gora memorial park

“The monument in the Poklonnaya Gora memorial park testifies to our respect for the heroism of our people and reflects our joint will and firm resolve to protect the truth about war heroes, to defend it from the cynics, barbarians and liars, and to stand up together against nationalism, xenophobia and extremism no matter what fine words are used to camouflage them.”