Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visits the central depository of Russia’s Central Bank, which holds two-thirds of the country’s gold and foreign exchange reserves

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin holds a meeting on the development strategy for Russia’s banking sector until 2015

“The banking system must be able to meet the challenges Russia faces, and its work should be geared towards the needs of people, particularly in socially important areas, such as housing. Banks must provide strong incentives for economic growth, modernisation and restructuring.”

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin discusses assistance to Domodevovo International Airport victims with Minister of Healthcare and Social Development Tatyana Golikova

Mr Putin issued instructions to draft a government decision on assistance to victims’ families, and instructed Ms Golikova and her deputies to visit hospitals to gain firsthand information about the treatment of people injured in the terrorist attack.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin meets with FIFA president Joseph Blatter in the Leningrad Region

During the conversation, Mr Putin and Mr Blatter discussed issues related to preparations for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. “We are counting on your expert support,” Prime Minister Vladimir Putin told Mr Blatter.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting of the government commission on the socio-economic development of the North Caucasus Federal District

“Our objective is to radically change the situation in the North Caucasus, primarily by improving the quality of life of the people, ensuring their security and giving them the opportunity to work and live in peace. We must eradicate the roots of terrorism and extremism, first of all poverty, unemployment, ignorance and inadequate levels of education, and corruption and lawlessness. We must create a modern social infrastructure in the North Caucasus.”

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin meets with Afghan President Hamid Karzai

During the meeting, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin expressed the desire to see bilateral economic and trade ties with Afghanistan develop, noting: “we have many opportunities to work together.” In turn, the Afghan President welcomed Russian companies’ involvement in a number of projects, particularly in the energy sector, stressing that they “have a competitive advantage over companies from other countries.”

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin meets with Prime Minister of Belarus Mikhail Myasnikovich

Vladimir Putin described the restoration of trade with Belarus to pre-crisis levels as showing “high potential and good development prospects.” In turn, Mikhail Myasnikovich called for the development of closer cooperation between Russian and Belarusian economic entities, suggesting a broader introduction of joint ventures.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Belarusian Prime Minister Mikhail Myasnikovich hold joint news conference following talks

"Establishing a strong regional market will prove to be a real factor in our countries’ growth and development. This has already been proved by our experiences within the Customs Union. This is exactly why we have made the consolidated decision to step up efforts towards a new level of integration and bolster the preparations for launching the Common Economic Space," Vladimir Putin said.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin chairs a government meeting

“In order to ensure stable development and increase Russia’s competitiveness in the post-recessionary world, we need to develop a comprehensive action plan and select several projects to focus on over the long term. I’d like to underscore that we have every opportunity to make our economy steady and stable, and must take advantage of our competitive edge.”