Transcript of the beginning of the meeting:

Vladimir Putin: Mr Artamonov, we also mentioned the many positive aspects of the investment climate. Our situation in general is developing rather well. What is your assessment of that ongoing work and of the economy in general, as well as in social services? I know that you have good housing construction projects, and I would like to discuss them. I don't only want to talk about industry but also about agriculture because here, I've heard that there are many different viewpoints. If you please.

Anatoly Artamonov: Despite some of the things that I will talk about briefly and about which we are also concerned, the situation in the region as a whole continues to remain stable. Moreover, in terms of industry, we are actively developing. This has been observable since 2008. We implemented all of the terms that you once set for the growth of gross regional product earlier than planned. This enabled us to confidently increase our tax base over the last few years and complete some very important tasks.

Today, wherever you and I go – as you probably are aware and have already noticed – the issue of roads and road construction is constantly being raised. In 2010, we allocated a considerable amount of money to the problem, and in 2011, we allocated 14% of the consolidated regional budget to developing and maintaining the road network.

Vladimir Putin: It's considerable, of course.

Anatoly Artamonov: Our social services currently include many different benefits, including one that seems a bit rare – some people have made ​​fun of me. If a single woman gives birth, she is in a very difficult situation, so we pay more for her child until the age of seven – up to 5,000 roubles per month. You see, the state pays 5,000 plus 4,500 roubles for one and a half years – we have extended this year-and-a-half to three years.

Lactating mothers, honoured teachers, and physical education teachers receive an additional payment. And these additional benefits amount to one billion roubles per year. These funds are intended as an incentive – when we started paying single mothers, the number of abortions decreased and the birth rate rose. Physical education teachers are now paid extra for working with kids after school, and the gyms are occupied until midnight. This is very important.

You mentioned agriculture, and rightfully so. Our land, of course, is poor, and agriculture is difficult in terms of economic benefits and cost effectiveness. Nevertheless, new proprietors are coming in with money – where preliminary investments are made, the yield reaches 40 or more quintals per hectare. I was with Mr Zubkov, and he agreed to come visit us soon. I want to show him a one-of-a-kind project for Russia – in particular, with regard to beef production and beef fattening. It is an American breed of cattle, the Aberdeen-Angus – four people are taking care of 6,000 head with the utmost care.

Last year, we held the first auction of pedigree cattle in the last 100 years. The average selling price for a steer was $80,000.

Vladimir Putin: We discussed issues related to supporting the agricultural sector. You even said, if you remember, that the conditions are difficult for agricultural producers.

Anatoly Artamonov: Very! If hot weather lasts even a month, when you move the machines from one field to another, they become stalled as if they were ploughing sand in a desert. That is the composition of the soil.

Vladimir Putin: That's clear. I looked, and you have good projects for integrated housing development – the town of Voskresenskoye, for instance. How is it going in general? A few words about this project, please, and then about housing in general.

Anatoly Artamonov: Overall, this year, we grew around 8%. We have adopted several programmes for housing construction. In particular, we look forward to a special programme called "Housing for professionals." What does this mean? In the industrial parks and in the vicinity, we will build special homes, including what we would call hostels. The need for them is great due to the flow of people coming here from other regions. They certainly cannot immediately buy a full-fledged apartment. These are young people from rural areas – two or three of them often live together, and that's alright. We agreed with the companies, and they each – for example, Volkswagen – will donate 4,000 roubles [per resident] to help pay for housing.

We intend to execute such projects not only through our own investors and developers. One of the largest construction companies in South Korea has come to us with these plans.

Vladimir Putin: It was the French, I thought.

Anatoly Artamonov: We want to do these projects with the South Koreans and Finns, too. Given that we have enough land around our cities, we are geared to a greater extent towards building individual homes and low-rise construction. For a number of years, more than 60% of housing in our reporting data was individual homes. After all, living at ground level is much more pleasant, especially as we have taken on the responsibility of connecting all the utilities – water, gas, etc. We have even given away free plots of land to large families. In these areas, the schools and gardens are ours.

Vladimir Putin: The development of infrastructure is a good thing.

Anatoly Artamonov: Several such towns and communities have been built. They've been around for about five years.

Vladimir Putin: Mr Artamonov, you defended the medical programme for health care modernisation?

Anatoly Artamonov: Yes.

Vladimir Putin: How much money is being allocated to you?

Anatoly Artamonov: We have three billion roubles or more. Half of it is for technical re-equipment and repair, where it is needed, and the other half is for modernisation, including modernisation of the wage system. Moreover, it is not three billion but really six billion. We have added three billion of our own resources and have allocated two billion towards the construction of a perinatal centre. We did not qualify for this federal programme, but we desperately need it.

Vladimir Putin: Very good. The programme to modernise education, the school programme. How are things in that department?

Anatoly Artamonov: Educators heartily welcomed your announcement, since our teachers' pay is little more than 14,000 roubles.

Vladimir Putin: How much?

Anatoly Artamonov: A little over 14,000 roubles – 14,023 roubles, to be exact. Strange as it may seem, the rural schools pay more. There's some moonlighting. You have talked about it before – there are a lot of newcomers in urban areas, and their wages are 7,000-8,000 roubles. We, of course, set the task of following your instructions by any and all means. We received 130 million roubles from the federal budget for these purposes, but, to accomplish this task, we will need to add 430 million of our own.

Vladimir Putin: The average salary in your regional economy is how much?

Anatoly Artamonov: In our economy, it is 17,900.

Vladimir Putin: When will you be able to pay local teachers that amount?

Anatoly Artamonov: Basically, 14,000 and 17,000 is a difference of 3,000, so we're almost there. We will undertake additional efforts, and we'll get there.

Vladimir Putin: When?

Anatoly Artamonov: If we aren't able to do it in the immediate future, we'll certainly do it next year.

Vladimir Putin: Next year, the average salary will be more than 17,000.

Anatoly Artamonov: Well, then we will match whatever the average income is at that time.

Vladimir Putin: Will you try to reach that level as early as this year?

Anatoly Artamonov: We will try to do it as early as this year – we are aiming for the regional average.

Vladimir Putin: Good.