Prime Minister Vladimir Putin meets with Ulyanovsk Region Governor Sergei Morozov

Putin and Morozov talked about the region’s performance in the first six months of 2011, highlighting agriculture, housing and utilities, as well as modernisation of healthcare and education. The prime minister pointed out the need to raise teachers’ salaries to the country’s average.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin meets with Aeroflot – Russian Airlines Director General Vitaly Savelyev

Vladimir Putin and Vitaly Savelyev discussed the results of the airline’s performance in January-June 2011, short-term prospects and the renovation of its air fleet. They focused particularly on better consumer service.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin arrives in Magnitogorsk, visits the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works and commissions first stage of the Mk 2000 cold-rolling mill

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin talks with workers at Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works

“We need to expand the realm of possibilities open to public organisations and small parties, enabling them to put forward their representatives and their concepts for how the municipality, region or nation, and the relevant levels of power and management should develop. That is why I proposed that we establish the Popular Front, which has the potential to become just such a broad platform – where people can present their ideas as well as the people who generated these ideas, giving them the chance to advocate them via United Russia’s existing channels to these power structures.”

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin meets with Chelyabinsk Region Governor Mikhail Yurevich

The prime minister and the governor discussed the performance of the Chelyabinsk Region in the first half of the year. Particular attention was paid to housing construction, problems with housing and utilities, and agriculture. They also discussed the modernisation of the healthcare system, the state of rural roads, courtyard beautification, and the situation with kindergartens in the region.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin holds a video conference with participants of the Strategic Initiatives Agency project in Yekaterinburg

“I’d like to see the agency become an effective instrument for broadening your opportunities, for those who want to promote their ideas, who are willing and eager to carry out and accomplish what they consider important for themselves, their business and the country in general.”

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin chairs a Government Presidium meeting

As the prime minister noted at the meeting, Russia continues to see positive trends in its labour market, with unemployment dropping from 5.8 million to 4.6 million people.