Transcript of the beginning of the meeting:
Dmitry Medvedev: We have only ten minutes to do a lot: first, to talk about what we’ve done so far, and second, to list the current issues that face the Omsk Region. Also, you are welcome to provide me with your requests, which you certainly have.
I will begin by congratulating Omsk citizens on City Day. I’m very pleased to spend this day in your city.
Viktor Nazarov: Thank you.
Dmitry Medvedev: Unfortunately, my visit is very brief.
We are holding our meeting at the railway yard, which is another indication of how important communication routes are for the country. This may not be obvious in Moscow or in Russia’s central territories, although similar traffic issues exist there as well – but in Siberia and the Far East, this is especially clear as little can be accomplished without quality railway and air transport services. We just mentioned the poor quality of inter-regional rail services. If you have to travel short distances like 500 or 1,000 km say to Kemerovo, Novosibirsk or other cities, you have to drive. Or, with no air service available, you have to travel by train, which is sometimes convenient and sometimes not. So the task of developing the transport network remains a high priority.
I hope that as the new regional governor you will pay serious attention to transport issues. We took a trip across the city and assessed its current state. The state of roads is not great and there are other problems too, so I wish you success and we will discuss how to settle the problem on a national scale.
Viktor Nazarov: Thank you very much, Mr Medvedev. I would first of all like to thank you for finding the time to visit our region. This support is essential for us. I understand that you have a packed schedule but still you've come. The visit is too short of course, we wanted to show you more of what we plan to do and how we plan to develop. We hope that you will visit the Omsk Region again soon, so that we can give you a proper demonstration of the results of what we’ve done.
We discussed the metro with you in the car. This is an objective we must accomplish and we understand that the budget of the Omsk Region alone is not enough for this. For that reason could you please take the issue under your control, and give an order to consider raising our quotas: for the funding and co-funding of the budget, maybe even under co-financing programmes. It would be good if the first metro line could be launched by 2016.
Dmitry Medvedev: And when will the city be celebrating its anniversary?
Viktor Nazarov: In four years’ time.
Dmitry Medvedev: Four years. Consider it my instruction both to the Omsk Region authorities and our federal departments to complete the work that was started in the 1990s under the co-financing programmes. People in Omsk have been waiting far too long for a metro. When I mentioned the subject of the metro during my City Day speech, there was a roar of approval, as well as other emotions, because the issue arouses wide public resonance.
We will continue working on the matter, let's discuss this now. Thank you.
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