Prime Minister Vladimir Putin meets with President of Abkhazia Sergei Bagapsh
Russia will earmark 10 billion roubles for supporting Abkhazia and provide a 700-million-rouble loan for the Abkhazian Central Bank to increase its capitalisation. Vladimir Putin also stressed the need to create a stable legal basis for trade and economic relations. Sergei Bagapsh highlighted economic cooperation and thanked Russia for its support.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin meets with Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius
Moscow and Vilnius need to resolve various issues of mutual concern, Prime Minister Putin said during the meeting with his Lithuanian counterpart. According to Mr Putin, these include infrastructure projects and energy related issues. In addition, the Prime Minister suggested discussing the expansion of cultural cooperation between the two countries.
“The situation is already difficult in some towns and villages, but we will not abandon people who are in trouble now or might be tomorrow,” said Prime Minister Putin at the meeting. The prime minister emphasised the need to deploy all the necessary equipment in time, plan for clearing ice jams, protect bridges and other infrastructure, and check whether dams and waterworks are in working order.
Events for 25 march 2010
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".
