Prime Minister Vladimir Putin meets with Governor of the Arkhangelsk Region Ilya Mikhalchuk
The focus of the meeting was the social and economic situation in the region. The prime minister expressed his concern over wage arrears in the region and called on the governor to deal with the problem of wages owed to budget-dependent employees. “Please request all the necessary data from your fiscal agencies immediately after this meeting and report back to me early next week,” Prime Minister Putin told Governor Mikhalchuk. Mr Putin noted that, despite the problems, there have been positive changes in the region, namely an increase in industrial production. The prime minister and the governor also touched on Vnesheconombank’s five-year extension of the four billion rouble loan to Sevmash.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin meets with Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolai Azarov
Vladimir Putin said of trade and economic relations between Russia and Ukraine that it was “still possible to return to our former position and even progress beyond it.” In response, Nikolai Azarov stated, “I believe that we should perhaps forget what has taken place between our countries in the last five years. We should turn over a new leaf and start afresh, while taking into account the wealth of experience we have accumulated.”
"Ukraine is Russia's leading trade partner. Our national economies are closely interconnected. <...> More than that, we share special responsibility for European energy security. I am confident that there is no alternative but coherent, genuine teamwork focused on real results".
Events for 24 march 2010
The prime minister was shown an electronic system for registering foreigners, which is capable of keeping track of foreign nationals arriving in Russia, obtaining work permits or departing.
