Transcript of the beginning of the meeting:

Dmitry Medvedev: Thank you once again for the warm welcome accorded to all the guests. The weather is fine. I think it is an interesting event, anyway people are showing great enthusiasm, which is very heartening. Nevertheless, we were discussing serious matters. One of the most important things about today's exhibition is that it is a step towards Expo-2020. We will work on that.

But I would like to repeat what I said just now from the podium in my address to the audience: for us hosting this exhibition, and indeed hosting any other major events – be they sports, economic and even cultural events – is not only a way to position our country and the region, which is indeed large and very important, but, most importantly, to solve many social and economic tasks. It concentrates money, concentrates efforts, and concentrates organisational resources. I do not know if Yekaterinburg will win this selection state, but in any case this event will give a boost to the development of the utilities infrastructure in the city and promote the solution of some major tasks facing Yekaterinburg and the Sverdlovsk Region. And that is the most important thing. At the end of the day, it should have an effect on the way people feel, on their mood, so that people realise that all these grand events are conceived to ensure the development of the country and their native region. 

You have reported that you need to resolve a host of issues to participate in these program events and ensure regional development. Could you elaborate on this? And then I will be expecting your written applications for the government to consider them.  

Yevgeny Kuivashev: On behalf of the entire Sverdlovsk Region and all those attending this forum and exhibition, I would like to thank you for finding the time to visit this exhibition. And I also want to say from the outset that I wrote you a letter in the run up to this exhibition, requesting that you assign it federal status. I was planning to discuss this issue with you today, but you have already announced that decision at the plenary session. Obviously, we are very pleased with that decision.  

We have our self-motivational motto of sorts: Today Innoprom – Tomorrow Expo. I am very glad that you support this idea and, moreover, that you have adopted a decision according to which the head of the organising committee… The project that aims to promote Expo-Yekaterinburg is becoming international and it should be a rather high level. You have assigned Mr Arkady Dvorkovich to assume the chairmanship of this committee, which is very good.   

We are currently building our bidding campaign that will reflect our international ambitions. Our next presentation will be held in November in Paris, and we are planning to ask Mr Dvorkovich to head our delegation. And in spring, we’ll be asking you, Mr Medvedev, to do the same, in order to increase it incrementally, to put a bold dot… 

Dmitry Medvedev: Most importantly, you need to keep up the pressure, which is key to any project. 

Yevgeny Kuivashev: Yes, you are exactly right. Obviously, Expo is not only an incentive for the industry and for development. It also contributes to improving the quality of the people. We have prepared a number of proposals on the event that will allow us to improve the quality of the people.  

Dmitry Medvedev: The people’s quality of life.

Yevgeny Kuivashev: The people’s quality of life. This includes extending the city toward the Verkh-Isetsky pond (we have shown it to you today) and infrastructure development. I also want to thank you, if only in a bit confused manner, for the fact that the law on private-public partnership has been finally adopted. Today we have already signed the first agreement under this law with the Federal Highway Agency. Under this agreement, the government will be co-investing with us, and we will be attracting 60% of the funding from concessionaires.  

Dmitry Medvedev: What do you mean by concessionaires? Have you caught someone?

Yevgeny Kuivashev: Not exactly caught someone, but there is competition already. Furthermore, we have discussed with Mikhail Abyzov (Russian government minister) how we will be selecting these concessionaires. It will be done in the framework of the Open Government. 

It will be an absolutely open discussion and you were absolutely right in saying that a concessionaire will no longer have to deal with corrupt officials. They will be saving their money and will only get a return on their investment when this road has been commissioned, and they will only make profit if they establish proper management systems or introduce toll roads. This is a major step, and in this sense, we are first to take advantage of this new law.

Obviously, for the development of infrastructure, something that you have mentioned today… In general, this has been a very interesting plenary session. What’s important is that, as you said, business initiatives should be viewed as a very positive thing, and that’s exactly how we perceive them. And we do have business initiatives. They are willing to participate in the development, promotion, and implementation of this project. You only need to confirm your participation (and you have already confirmed it). And therefore, I have no doubt that if we win, we will definitely implement this project.      

Dmitry Medvedev: Well, I can reiterate that the government will continue helping you to achieve this goal as it is in the interest of the country as a whole to help Yekaterinburg win. Obviously, I want you to bring to fruition all the projects that you have planned and successfully resolve all the issues you are dealing with, whether it is concessionaires or anything else.