Transcript of the beginning of the meeting:

Dmitry Medvedev: Mr Miklushevsky, first of all, I would like to congratulate you, as well as the people of Vladivostok and the Primorye Territory, on the anniversary of the founding of the city. This is not the first time that I am celebrating this occasion with you. This is a good tradition, one that we will continue. I am particularly pleased to say that we are not simply making some beautiful and high-sounding speeches about the significance of Vladivostok and the Primorye Territory for the entire country. These speeches are also accompanied by the construction of new facilities, which are very useful for the local population. As I said earlier today, such facilities are created for use by ordinary people, rather than for summits and top-level meetings.

Today, the bridge has opened for tests, though not public use. Though it's open only in test mode, this is, in effect, the final step before the bridge opens for permanent use. And you and I are meeting at the university … Incidentally, as I have already said, I have signed an executive order on appointing the university’s Rector, who is your successor, so to speak. I hope that he will actively develop the university, because the university itself is absolutely fantastic. Honestly, Russia has nothing like it. And I am very happy that such a project has been implemented in the Far East because the situation with local educational establishments was not as good as perhaps we would like it to be.

Today, I have inspected a housing project, which is also very beautiful and which was built in accordance with designs from Moscow. Of course, it is very important that we build inexpensive housing, depending on specific categories. We must build economy-class housing. And I know that the Primorye Territory has not yet attained Soviet-era construction volumes, but this is connected with the general deterioration of the situation. I hope that specific targets will, nonetheless, be reached in the near future. But, most importantly, we must build enough inexpensive housing. I hope that you will implement the pertinent programmes. What do you have to say?

Vladimir Miklushevsky: Mr Medvedev, thank you very much for your congratulations. I would also like to thank you separately for that tremendous investment, which has already been made, and for the specific decisions that have been adopted by the country’s leaders and implemented by the federal government. This is certainly a very serious foundation for creating a comfortable environment here in the Primorye Territory and the Far East. This concerns Vladivostok above all, because various transport and municipal utilities infrastructure facilities are currently being completed here. As you have aptly pointed out, they have been built and completed for the people of Vladivostok, rather than for the summit itself. Such facilities create a rather substantial foundation for our subsequent development. Today, we are drafting a programme of the Primorye Territory’s socio-economic development for the next five years. And, of course, we prioritise the creation of a comfortable environment. We are facing a problem because people are leaving, young people are leaving, and we must therefore create a comfortable environment. This is a multi-faceted objective. Of course, this includes affordable housing, which you have just mentioned, and kindergartens. We have started implementing the relevant programme, and we want to eliminate the current lack of kindergartens. This is very important for young mothers and families. In addition, you have mentioned the university issue. Of course, this also has to do with the issue of culture, as an opera and ballet theatre is being constructed together with other facilities. All these projects should induce people to stay. I believe that people will start coming to the Far East in the near future.

And, of course, we are now doing our best to ensure the development of various industries. I am saying this in order to back up what I have just noted. In my opinion, we must prioritise value-added high-tech sectors with impressive labour productivity. This is very important in conditions of the rather limited Far Eastern population because this can help considerably expand the gross regional product and tax proceeds for implementing those projects that I have just mentioned. In this respect, the role of the university… I would like to stress this separately, because it is impossible to create any state-of-the-art technology without that human potential, without the involvement of science and education, which are invested in people, and without specific aptitudes and knowledge that people obtain. Frankly speaking, we are now working on all these projects, and we would like to start implementing them in the near future. 

Dmitry Medvedev: Okay then, I wish you success. I would like to note once again that perhaps all of us would like to see more rapid changes. As a person who lives elsewhere than in the Primorye Territory, I believe that there have been substantial changes over the past few years, because I come here every year. As a rule, I visit this region once or twice a year. So after all, such changes are even more noticeable for me than for permanent residents. But your task is to focus on the solution of the problems that have accumulated. On the whole, such problems are fairly understandable. They include the housing/municipal utilities infrastructure, the overall infrastructure and, naturally, the establishment of new medical and social institutions and schools. In all, this means creating facilities that will ensure comfortable living standards. This must be the priority.

Vladimir Miklushevsky: Thank you, Mr Medvedev.

Dmitry Medvedev: Thank you.