President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visited the plant and acquainted themselves with its latest developments. Representatives of the Gorky Automobile Plant reported to Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin on the company's key economic indicators and drew their attention to a 31% increase in working efficiency from the 3rd quarter of 2010 to the 3rd quarter of 2011. As a result, the average wages for the entire GAZ Group grew by 14%, to 26,000 roubles compared with 22,000 roubles.

In addition, Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin learned about some social programmes, including a motivational programme that offers the provision of housing credit.

The president and the prime minister examined model ranges of cars, lorries, and buses on display at a plant shop, among which was new-generation Gazelle. Vladimir Putin deemed the new model "a good car."

The president and the prime minister then saw the family of Skoda cars. On November 7, the GAZ Group will begin the semi knock-down of the Skoda Yeti. This will be the first stage of a long-term agreement between the GAZ Group and the Volkswagen Group Rus on the contracted manufacturing of Volkswagen and Skoda cars by the plant in Nizhny Novgorod.

A range of buses manufactured at the plant were also shown to the President and the Prime Minister. The head of the Bus division, Dmitry Garonin, conducted the presentation. "Did they choose you on purpose?" Putin asked jokingly, pointing out that one of the plant's previous representatives who showed the enterprise to the Prime Minister was also named Dmitry.

Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin were told about the production range and long-term projects, including the Green Bus project. This electric automobile will be unique in that its emissions will be reduced by 100%, thanks to modern technologies (the project is being implemented jointly with Rusnano). The bus will be able to travel over 200 kilometres on a single charge, without the use of air conditioning.

Other achievements include the Golaz luxury bus, which will be used for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin were also interested in the new model of PAZ, an automobile manufactured by the Pavlovo Bus Plant.

Upon inquiring about the price, the president learned that the bus costs 1.4 million roubles. Both the president and the prime minister agreed that this was rather expensive. A spontaneous meeting inside the bus resulted in a proposal to use leasing mechanisms. VTB head Anrei Kostin, who was invited into the bus, supported this initiative.

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Vladimir Putin’s speech during a gala event held at GAZ to commemorate National Unity Day:

Residents of Nizhny Novgorod, GAZ workers, veterans.

I'd like to join in congratulating you and celebrating National Unity Day. The events that Mr Medvedev has just talked about took place in this, your beloved city, Nizhny Novgorod, precious to every Russian. National Unity Day has been associated with your city since Minin raised the flag of unity between representatives of different ages, classes, and faiths, in order to support and save Russia. This country has seen a lot, but it has been unity that has always set us down the right path and has raised us up off of our knees. This was the case during WWII, when the city and the plant, damaged by bombardments in 1943, rose up from ruins for 100 days and nights. And this has always been the case. We have everything that we need in order to live a decent life and make our children happy – on the basis of unity. This is an indispensable foundation for the development of our state.

I congratulate you and wish you a happy holiday! I would also like to say that, as a rule, people tend to give each other presents for holidays. Mr Medvedev and I have also prepared a present: yesterday our leading state bank, VTB, and the GAZ Group reached a final agreement, and today an agreement will be signed on providing a loan to GAZ in the amount of 38 billion roubles. This means that GAZ will be able to resolve its current problems and will create conditions for the efficient development of this company. Congratulations! Thank you.