Full Text of Putin Speech: They Understand Nuclear War?

Dear senators! Deputies of the State Duma! Dear citizens of Russia!

Each address to the Federal Assembly is, first of all, a look into the future. And today we will talk not only about our immediate plans, but also about strategic tasks, about those issues whose solution I consider fundamentally important for the steadfast, long-term development of the country.

This program of action and specific measures was largely formed during trips to the regions, direct conversations with workers, engineers of civil and defense factories, with doctors, teachers, scientists, volunteers, entrepreneurs, with large families, with our front-line heroes, volunteers, soldiers and officers of the Russian Armed Forces. Of course, we understand that such events are being prepared. However, people’s real needs certainly come through in these conversations. Many ideas were put forward at large public and expert forums.

Citizens’ proposals, their aspirations and hopes have become the basis, the core of those projects and initiatives that will continue today. I hope that the public discussion thereof will certainly continue, because we can only implement all our plans together. The tasks are big.

You and I have already proven that we are capable of solving the most complex problems and responding to any, the most difficult challenges. For example, we repelled the aggression of international terrorism, preserved the unity of the country, and did not allow it to be torn apart in due time.

We supported our brothers and sisters, their will to be with Russia, and this year marks the tenth anniversary of the legendary “Russian Spring.” But even now, the energy, sincerity, courage of its heroes – Crimeans, Sevastopol, residents of the rebel Donbass, their love for the Motherland, which they carried through generations, certainly causes pride. All this inspires, strengthens the confidence that we will overcome everything, together we can do anything.

This is how, with the whole world, we not only forced the deadly threat of a global epidemic to recede quite recently, but also showed that such values ​​as mercy, mutual support, and solidarity prevail in our society.

And today, when our Motherland defends its sovereignty and security, protects the lives of compatriots in Donbass and Novorossiya, the decisive role in this righteous struggle belongs to our citizens, our unity, devotion to our native country, responsibility for its fate.

These qualities clearly and unambiguously manifested themselves at the very beginning of the special military operation, when it was supported by the absolute majority of the Russian people. Despite all the trials and the bitterness of losses, people are adamant in this choice and constantly confirm it with the desire to do as much as possible for the country and for the common good.

Russian industries are working in three shifts to roll out as many products as the front needs. The entire economy, and this is the industrial, technological basis of our victory, has shown flexibility and resilience. I would now like to thank entrepreneurs, engineers, workers, and rural workers for their responsible, hard work in the interests of Russia.

Millions of people were united by the “We Are Together” campaign and the All-Russian Popular Front project “Everything for Victory!” Over the past two years, Russian business has sent billions of rubles to volunteer organizations and charitable foundations that support our soldiers and their families.

People send letters and parcels, warm clothes, camouflage nets to the front, and transfer funds from their, sometimes very modest, savings. I repeat, such help is priceless – it is everyone’s contribution to the overall victory. Our heroes on the front line, in the trenches, where it is most difficult, know that the whole country is with them.

I would like to note the work of the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation, the efforts of the Committee for Families of Warriors of the Fatherland, and other public associations. I ask all authorities to continue to do everything to support the families of our heroes: parents, wives, children who worry about the people closest to them, who are dear to them, waiting for them to come home.

I am grateful to the parliamentary parties for consolidating around national interests. The Russian political system is one of the pillars of the country’s sovereignty. We will continue to develop democratic institutions and will not allow anyone to interfere in our internal affairs.

The so-called West, with its colonial habits, its habit of inciting national conflicts around the world, seeks not only to restrain our development but also they need a Russia which is a dependent, fading, dying place where they can do whatever they want. In essence, they would like to do to Russia the same thing that they did in many other regions of the world, including Ukraine: to bring discord into our home, to weaken it from within. But they have miscalculated – this is already an absolutely obvious thing today: they were faced with the firm position and determination of our multinational people.

Our soldiers and officers – Christians and Muslims, Buddhists and followers of Judaism, representatives of different ethnic groups, cultures, regions, in fact, have proven better than a thousand words that the centuries-old cohesion and unity of the people of Russia is a colossal, invincible force. All together, shoulder to shoulder, they fight for one common Motherland.

We all, citizens of Russia, will together defend our freedom, the right to a peaceful and dignified life, determine our own path ourselves and only ourselves, protect the connection between generations, and therefore the continuity of historical development, solve the problems that face the country, based on our worldview, our traditions, beliefs that we will pass on to our children.

Dear friends!

The defense and strengthening of sovereignty is taking place today in all directions, and above all, of course, at the front, where our soldiers fight steadfastly and selflessly.

I thank everyone who is now fighting for the interests of the Fatherland, who is going through the crucible of military trials, who is risking their lives every day. The entire nation bows to your feat, mourns the dead, and Russia will always remember its fallen heroes.

(Minute of silence.)

Our Armed Forces have gained enormous combat experience. This concerns the interaction of all types and branches of troops, modern tactics and operational art. A whole galaxy of talented commanders have grown up and been trained, who take care of people, competently carry out their tasks, use new equipment, and successfully solve the tasks assigned to them. And I want to say that this is at all levels: from the platoon and operational level to the highest level of management.

We see where and what problems we have, of course they exist, and we understand at the same time what needs to be done. Such work is carried out continuously both at the front and in the rear. It is aimed at increasing the striking power of the army and navy, their technology and efficiency.

The combat capabilities of the Armed Forces have increased many times over. Our units firmly hold the initiative, confidently advance in a number of operational areas, and liberate more and more territories.

We did not start the war in Donbass, but, as I have said more than once, we will do everything to end it, eradicate Nazism, solve all the tasks of the special military operation, protect the sovereignty and safety of our citizens.

Strategic nuclear forces are in a state of full readiness for guaranteed use. What we planned in the field of armaments, which I spoke about in my 2018 address , has all been done, or this work is being completed.

Thus, the Kinzhal hypersonic aviation complex has not only been put into combat service, but is also used with high efficiency to destroy particularly important targets during the special military operation. Also, the Zircon sea-based hypersonic strike complex, which was not even in the 2018 address, has already been used in battle, but this system is already in service.

Avangard intercontinental-range hypersonic units and Peresvet laser systems are on combat service. Tests of the Burevestnik unlimited-range cruise missile and the Poseidon unmanned underwater vehicle are being completed. These systems have confirmed their high and, without exaggeration, unique characteristics. The first serial Sarmat heavy ballistic missiles were also delivered to the troops. We will soon demonstrate them in operational deployment areas.

Work on a number of other promising weapons systems continues, and we will still learn about new achievements of our scientists and weapons makers.

Russia is ready for dialogue with the United States on issues of strategic stability. But here is what I would like to emphasize, dear colleagues, so that everyone understands me correctly: in this case, we are dealing with a state whose ruling circles are taking open hostile actions against us. So what? Are they seriously going to discuss strategic stability issues with us, while at the same time trying to inflict, as they themselves say, a strategic defeat on Russia on the battlefield?

Here is a clear example of such hypocrisy. Recently, unfounded accusations have been increasingly heard, for example, against Russia, that we are allegedly going to place nuclear weapons in space. Such falsehoods – and this is nothing more than falsehoods – are a ploy only to drag us into negotiations on the terms beneficial exclusively to the United States.

At the same time, they are blocking our proposal, which has been on their table for more than 15 years. I am referring to the draft treaty on preventing the placement of weapons in outer space, which we prepared back in 2008. There is no reaction. What they are talking about is not at all clear.

Therefore, we have every reason to believe that the words of today’s US authorities about their alleged interest in negotiations with us on issues of strategic stability are demagoguery. In the lead-up to the US presidential elections, they just want to show their citizens and everyone else that they still rule the world. They say that on those issues where it is beneficial for the United States to negotiate, we will have a conversation with the Russians, and where it is not profitable for them, there is nothing to discuss, as they themselves say, business as usual, there they will strive to defeat us.

But that certainly won’t work. Our position is clear: if you want to discuss important issues of security and stability that are important for the entire planet, then it is necessary to do this only in a single package complex, naturally, including all those aspects that affect our national interests and directly affect the security of our country, the security of Russia .

We also understand that the West is trying to drag us into an arms race, thereby exhausting us, repeating the trick that they succeeded in the 80s with the Soviet Union. Let me remind you: in 1981–1988, military expenditures of the USSR amounted to 13 percent of the gross national product.

Therefore, our task is to develop the defense-industrial complex in such a way as to increase the scientific, technological, and industrial potential of the country. It is necessary to distribute resources as rationally as possible and build an effective economy for the Armed Forces, to achieve the maximum value for every ruble of defense spending. It is important for us to increase the pace in solving social, demographic, infrastructure and other problems and at the same time reach a qualitatively new level of equipment for the army and navy.

First of all, this concerns general-purpose forces, the principles of organizing them, the supply of unmanned strike systems, air defense and electronic warfare systems, reconnaissance and communications, high-precision and other weapons to the troops.

It is seriously necessary to strengthen the groupings in the western strategic direction in order to neutralize the threats created the next NATO expansion to the east with the involvement of Sweden and Finland in the alliance.

The West provoked conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and other regions of the world and continues to lie. Now, without being ashamed, they declare that Russia allegedly intends to attack Europe. They’re just – we understand – they’re talking some kind of nonsense. And at the same time, they themselves choose targets for striking our territory, choosing the most effective, as they think, means of destruction. They have started talking about the possibility of sending NATO military contingents to Ukraine.

But we remember the fate of those who once sent their contingents to the territory of our country. But now the consequences for possible interventionists will be much more tragic. They must ultimately understand that we also have weapons – yes, they know about this, I just said – that can hit targets on their territory.

And everything that they are coming up with now, how they are spooking the whole world, – all this really threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons, and therefore the destruction of civilization – they understand this, or what? These, you know, are people who have not gone through difficult trials – they have already forgotten what war is. We, even our current generation, went through such difficult trials during the fight against international terrorism in the Caucasus, and now, in the context of the conflict in Ukraine, the same thing is happening. And they think that for them these are all some kind of cartoons.

What can I say, indeed, Russophobia, like other ideology of racism, national superiority and exclusivity, blinds and deprives one of reason. The actions of the United States and its satellites actually led to the dismantling of the European security system. This creates risks for everyone.

It is obvious that it is necessary to work to form a new contour of equal and indivisible security in Eurasia in the foreseeable future. We are ready for a substantive conversation on this topic with all interested countries and associations. At the same time, I will emphasize again that I think this is important for everyone today: without a sovereign, strong Russia, no lasting world order is possible.

We strive to unite the efforts of the world majority to respond to global challenges, including the rapid transformation of the world economy, trade, finance, and technology markets, when many former monopolies and the stereotypes associated with them are collapsing.

Thus, already in 2028, the BRICS countries, taking into account the states that have recently become members of this association, will create about 37 percent of global GDP, while the G7 figure will drop below 28 percent. These figures are very convincing, because just 10–15 years ago the situation was completely different. I have already spoken about this publicly. These are the trends, you know? Global trends, and there is no escape from this, they are objective in nature.

Look, the share in world GDP at purchasing power parity of the G7 in 1992 was 45.7 percent, and BRICS, even without taking into account expansion – in 1992 this organization did not exist, but the BRICS countries – only 16.5, and in By 2022, the G7 already have 30.3 percent, and BRICS have 31.5 percent. By 2028, the situation will change even more towards the BRICS: it will be 36.6 percent, for the “seven” the forecast for 2028 is 27.8. There is no escape from this, this is an objective reality, it will be so no matter what happens, including even in Ukraine.

We, together with friendly states, will continue to create efficient and secure logistics corridors and build a new global financial architecture, free from political interference, on an advanced technological basis. Moreover, the West itself is discrediting its own currencies and banking system – they are sawing off the branch on which they have been sitting for decades.

We interact with partners on the principles of equality and respect for each other’s interests, and therefore more and more states are actively joining the work of the Eurasian Community, SCO, BRICS and other associations with Russia’s participation. We see great prospects in building a large Eurasian partnership by combining integration processes within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union and the “One Belt, One Road” initiative of the People’s Republic of China.

The Russia-ASEAN dialogue is developing positively. The Russia-Africa summits became a real breakthrough. The African continent is increasingly declaring its interests and its right to genuine sovereignty. We wholeheartedly support all these aspirations.

Russia has long-standing, good relations with Arab states. They represent a distinctive civilization from North Africa to the Middle East, which is developing dynamically today. And we consider it important to look for new points of contact with our Arab friends and deepen the entire range of partnerships. We will do the same in the Latin American direction.

And I separately ask the Government to increase funding for international programs in the field of promoting the Russian language and our multinational culture, first of all, of course, in the CIS and in the world as a whole.

By the way, dear friends and colleagues, I am sure that many visited the “Russia” exhibition. They come here to see for themselves, to show their children how rich and vast our Motherland is. The Year of the Family was launched at the Russia exhibition. The values ​​of love, mutual support and trust are passed down in the family from generation to generation, as well as culture, traditions, history, and moral principles.

And of course, the main purpose of the family is the birth of children, the continuation of the human race, the upbringing of children, and therefore the continuation of our entire multinational people. We see what is happening in some countries, where they deliberately destroy moral norms and family institutions, pushing entire nations towards extinction and degeneration, but we choose life. Russia has been and remains a stronghold of traditional values ​​on which human civilization is built. Our choice is shared by the majority of people in the world, including millions of citizens of Western countries.

Yes, today both Russia and many other countries are faced with a decline in the birth rate. Demographers argue that this challenge is related to global social, economic, technological, cultural and value changes. Young people get an education, build a career, improve their lives, and postpone having children until later.

It is obvious that not only the economy and the quality of the social security influence demography and the birth rate, but also, to a huge extent, those life guidelines that are laid down in the family, shaped by culture, education, and enlightenment. The work of all levels of government, civil society, and pastors of our traditional religions is important here.

Supporting families with children is our fundamental moral choice. A large family with many children should become the norm, the philosophy of social life, the guideline of the entire state strategy. (Applause.) I join your applause.

Over the next six years, we must achieve sustainable growth in the birth rate. To achieve this, we will make additional decisions in the system of upbringing and education, regional and economic development. Support and improving the quality of life of the family will be discussed in almost every section of the Message – be patient, it is just beginning. Everything that came before is important, but now the most important thing begins.

I’ll start with one of the most pressing problems – to put it mildly, low incomes, which large families also face. In 2000, more than 42 million people lived below the poverty line in Russia. Since then the situation has really changed, changed dramatically. At the end of last year, the number of people below the poverty line dropped to 13.5 million people. Of course, that’s a lot. But we are keeping the solution to this problem under constant attention.

A number of measures have been adopted relatively recently. Thus, from January 1, 2023, a single-line monthly benefit was introduced for families with low incomes, from the woman’s pregnancy until the child reaches 17 years of age. Last year, more than 11 million people received this benefit.

We have seriously simplified the procedure for concluding a social contract [a deal between social security authorities and a person or family whose income is low – where government is benefit is provided in exchange for training, upskilling]. Large families also have priority here. Now an application for a social contract can be submitted through the State Services portal with a minimum set of documents. We will expand the availability of this measure. This will require additional money – somewhere in the region of 100 billion rubles, but it is provided for. In general, I will name these additional expenses; they have all been worked out.

I want to repeat: the problem of poverty is still acute. Now it directly affects more than nine percent of the country’s population, and among large families, according to experts, the poverty rate is about 30 percent. It is necessary to set clear goals and consistently move towards achieving them: to ensure that by 2030 the poverty level in Russia falls below seven percent, and among large families drops by more than half, to at least 12 percent. That is, we must place special emphasis on reducing poverty, primarily for large families.

I understand that in general the fight against poverty is not an easy task; it is absolutely systemic and multi-vector. Therefore, I repeat once again, it is important that all the measures that we take in this area, all the tools that we use, are effective and efficient, and produce tangible, real results for people, for our families.

We need constant work aimed at improving the quality of life of families with children and supporting fertility. And for this we will launch a new national project, which is called: “Family”.

I’ll tell you right now about a number of specific initiatives.

First. Russian regions, in addition to federal programs, are implementing their own measures to support families with children. First of all, I want to thank my colleagues for this work and propose to further help the subjects of the Federation where the birth rate is below the Russian average. This is especially important for Central Russia and the north-west. In 2022, in 39 regions the total fertility rate was below the Russian average. By the end of 2030, we will allocate at least 75 billion rubles to such regions so that they can increase their family support programs. Funds will begin to arrive next year.

Second. Last year, over 110 million square meters of housing were built in Russia. This is one and a half times more than the highest Soviet figure, which was achieved in 1987. Then 72.8 million square meters were built, and now 110.

More importantly, over the past six years, millions of Russian families have improved their living conditions, including more than 900,000 with the help of family mortgages. Let me remind you that this program started in 2018. We constantly increased its availability: first, families with two or more children could use it, then families with one child. The family mortgage program is valid until July of this year. I propose to extend it until 2030, maintaining the main basic parameters. Pay special attention to families with children under six years of age inclusive; for them, the preferential loan rate will remain the same – six percent.

And further. Now, at the birth of a third child, the state pays off part of the mortgage loan for the family – 450,000 rubles. I also propose to extend this rule until 2030. This year it will take almost 50 billion rubles for this, then increasingly more and more, but there is money for this.

In general, the goal is to make housing under construction more affordable for families, so that the country’s housing stock is systematically updated.

Third. There are more than two million families in Russia with three or more children. Such families are certainly our pride.

That’s what I want to say. Look, these are real numbers: from 2018 to 2022, the number of large families in Russia increased by 26.8 percent – a good indicator.

A decree was signed , which establishes a single status for large families throughout the country, which is what people asked for. Its provisions must be filled with specific decisions at the federal and regional levels and, of course, be based on people’s requests.

Families with many children have a lot to worry about, and parents should have more disposable funds to solve everyday problems. I propose to double the tax deduction for the second child to 2,800 rubles per month and up to 6,000 rubles per month for the third and each subsequent child.

What does it mean? For example: a family with three children will save 1,300 rubles in their budget every month, while I also propose to increase the amount of annual income to which the deduction applies from 350,000 to 450,000 rubles. This support measure should be provided automatically, without submitting applications.

And separately about the maternity capital program. Now a family at the birth of their first child is entitled to a payment of 630,000 rubles, and at the birth of a second child – another 202,000 rubles. The size of maternity capital is regularly indexed. Our maternity capital program is valid until the beginning of 2026. I also propose to extend it until at least 2030.

Dear Colleagues!

I would like to express my gratitude to charitable foundations, social non-profit organizations that help elderly and sick people, and disabled children. And they did a lot to raise the issue of long-term care at the state level, because they raised these questions all the time.

I consider it necessary to increase funding for this system from the federal budget, bring it to a single high standard and ensure maximum accessibility for those who most need such help, and this is about half a million of our citizens.

By 2030, it is absolutely necessary to ensure that long-term care services are used and provided for by 100 percent of citizens who need it.

Now the average life expectancy in Russia has exceeded 73 years. We are back to the level we were before the coronavirus pandemic. By 2030, life expectancy in Russia should be at least 78 years, and in the future, as we planned, it will reach the “80 plus” level.

Particular attention should be paid to rural areas, regions where life expectancy is still lower than the Russian average. The national project “Long and Active Life” will be aimed at solving these problems. At the same time, it is important that the duration of a healthy, active life increases, so that a person can devote his time to his family, loved ones, children, and grandchildren.

We will continue federal projects to combat cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and diabetes.

In addition, I propose to launch a new comprehensive program for maternal health, preserving the health of children and adolescents, including reproductive health, so that children are born and grow up healthy, and in the future they have healthy children.

Among the priorities of such a program will be the expansion of the network of antenatal clinics, the modernization of perinatal centers, children’s clinics and hospitals. In total, over the next six years we will allocate more than a trillion rubles for the construction, repair and equipment of healthcare facilities alone.

Further. In recent years, the number of citizens who regularly engage in sports has increased significantly. This is one of our significant achievements. We need to encourage people who take responsibility for their health. Starting next year, we will provide tax deductions for everyone who regularly undergoes medical examination on a scheduled basis, and also successfully passes the GTO standards.

Remember the popular slogan? Everyone remembers this joke: “Stop drinking – go skiing!” This is the same case, the moment has come. By the way, regarding “drinking”: here we have a noticeable, good result. In reality, without any extremism, we have significantly reduced the consumption of alcohol, and especially strong alcohol, and this, of course, affects the health of the nation.

I propose using federal resources to annually build at least 350 additional sports facilities in the regions, primarily in small towns and rural areas. These include universal complexes and prefabricated playgrounds where children, adults, and entire families can practice. We will additionally allocate about 65 billion rubles from the federal budget for these purposes over six years.

Conditions for playing sports should be in universities, colleges, schools and preschool institutions. By the way, many of our kindergartens were opened during Soviet times and need updating. Next year we will begin a program of their overhaul. People talk about this all the time.

As for schools, about 18,500 buildings require major repairs. By 2030, we will help the regions completely solve this accumulated problem, and in the future we will carry out school repairs as planned. What has been done so far shows that we are on the right track. In total, we will allocate an additional more than 400 billion rubles for the overhaul of kindergartens and schools.

In addition, I propose, in the next six years, to update or open medical offices in schools where there is such a need, and there is such a need. Because now, in 2022-2023, out of 39,000 schools – we have 39,440 schools – only 65 percent have medical offices. There is something to work on.

Another very important topic. Today, many large cities are actively growing. At the same time, the burden on the social side increases. The number of schoolchildren who study in the second shift is increasing, and in some schools even a third shift is being introduced. Of course, this is a problem that also needs to be solved. In those cities where the issue of overcrowding of educational institutions is most acute, we will again have to solve this problem at the expense of the federal budget, using federal resources: we will build a total of at least 150 additional schools and more than 100 kindergartens.

Dear Colleagues!

The dreams and achievements of our ancestors and older generations have become achievable, and we are proud of these achievements. And the future of the country will be determined by the aspirations of the current, younger generation. Its formation, its successes, life guidelines that will pass any test of strength are the most important guarantee and guarantee of Russia’s sovereignty, the continuation of our history.

I propose to consolidate the positive experience in the field of youth policy and already this year launch a new national project – “Youth of Russia”. This should be a project about the future and for the future of our country. This is exactly how our school teachers understand their calling, their high mission and responsibility for the younger generations. Thank you very much for your ascetic work.

The role of mentors is great in ensuring that the guys feel like a single team and find support in life. From September 1, 2024, I propose to introduce a federal payment of 5,000 rubles a month for all advisers to directors of education in schools and colleges, which did not exist before. And I propose separate solutions for school class teachers and group curators in colleges and technical schools who work in those settlements that need to be given special attention, namely those settlements where less than 100,000 people live, and this is, in fact, all of our small cities, regional centers, towns, villages. So, as of March 1, 2024, I propose doubling the federal payment to such specialists for classroom management and group supervision to 10,000 rubles.

What else would you like to add? In 2018, May decrees established wage requirements for teachers and other public sector employees based on the average monthly income from work in a specific subject of the Federation. These provisions of the so-called May decrees must continue to be strictly implemented. At the same time, it is necessary to improve the remuneration system in the public sector, to achieve an increase in the income of specialists employed here.

The level of average salaries in the economy in the regions is different, which means that the incomes of public sector workers, even in neighboring regions of the Federation, sometimes differ markedly. At the same time, the work of a teacher or doctor is equally difficult and extremely responsible everywhere. Such a wide disparity in salaries from region to region is certainly unfair.

I understand that the problem is long-standing, very complex, capital-intensive, so to speak. We also discussed it with colleagues from federal departments, regional leaders, teachers, doctors, and other specialists. Of course, it needs to be resolved.

I won’t go into detail now, but it’s really complicated. Both deputies and members of the Government understand what I am talking about. I simply ask the Government to work out a new model of remuneration for public sector employees in 2025 as part of pilot projects in the constituent entities of the Federation, and in 2026 to make a final decision for the entire country.

A separate issue is the creation of additional motivation for young specialists so that they come to work at school and see here a prospect for professional and career growth. At the same time, we will specifically allocate more than 9 billion rubles from the federal budget to update the infrastructure of pedagogical universities.

Our school education has always been famous for its innovators and unique proprietary methods. It is precisely these teaching teams that will have to take part in the creation of promising schools. We will begin the construction of the first leadership-level educational schools this year in the Ryazan, Pskov, Belgorod, Nizhny Novgorod and Novgorod regions. In the future, they will appear in all federal districts: in the Far East, Siberia, and Donbass. In total, we will open 12 such schools by 2030.

Now about the content of education. The educational load for children should be reasonable and balanced. And of course, it’s clearly not good for things when they teach one thing in class and ask something else in exams. Such a discrepancy, to put it mildly, between school curricula and exam questions—and this happens, unfortunately—forces parents to hire tutors, but not everyone can afford it. I ask my colleagues from the Government, together with the teaching and parent communities, to look into this problem, it is obvious.

In this regard, about the unified state exam. It continues to cause widespread public discussion and controversy, we are all well aware of this. Indeed, the Unified State Examination mechanism must be improved.

What do I suggest at this stage? I propose to take one more step in this direction – to give graduates, as they say, a second chance, namely: at the choice of the student, give him the opportunity to retake the Unified State Exam in one of the subjects, and do this before the end of the admissions campaign to universities, in order to have time to submit documents already taking into account the retake. Such everyday things, but they are important to people.

Dear Colleagues!

Last year, the Russian economy grew at a rate higher than the world’s. In terms of this indicator, we are ahead not only of the leading countries of the European Union, but also of all the states of the so-called G7. But what do I want to note in this regard? I want to point out this. A huge role in this was played by the fundamental margin of safety that has been made over the past decades.

Today, the share of non-resource industries in the growth structure confidently exceeds 90 percent, that is, the economy is becoming more complex, technologically advanced, and therefore much more sustainable. Today Russia is the largest economy in Europe in terms of gross domestic product, in terms of purchasing power parity, and the fifth largest in the world.

The pace and, most importantly, the quality of growth allow us to hope and even claim that in the near future we will be able to take another step forward: we will become one of the four largest economic powers in the world. Such development should directly translate into increased incomes for the families of our citizens.

In the next six years, the share of wages in the country’s GDP should increase. In advance of inflation and the growth rate of average wages in the economy, we index the minimum wage. Starting in 2020, the minimum wage has increased one and a half times – from 12,000 to 19,000 rubles per month. By 2030, the minimum wage should almost double again – to 35,000, which will certainly affect the amount of social benefits, salaries in the public sector and in sectors of the economy.

At the same time, we understand what risks and factors can lead to a slowdown in economic growth and our development as a whole. This is primarily a lack of qualified personnel and our own advanced technologies – their absence in some areas. Here you need to work proactively, so today I will dwell in detail on these two strategically important topics.

I’ll start with the personnel base. A large young generation is growing in Russia. Oddly enough, there are demographic problems with population growth and a large young generation. In 2030, there will be 8.3 million citizens aged 20 to 24 in the country, and in 2035 there will be 9.7 million, 2.4 million more than now. And this, of course, is the result, among other things, of demographic measures of previous years.

It is important for us that these guys, today’s teenagers, become professionals in their field, ready to work in the economy of the 21st century. We will direct the new national project “Personnel” towards this.

We certainly talk about this a lot, but we need to actually strengthen the connection between all levels of education from school to university. They must work in a single logic, for a common result. Of course, the participation of future employers is important here. Starting from the current academic year, a career guidance system has been deployed in all schools in the country. Children starting from the 6th grade can get acquainted with different specialties.

I am now appealing to the heads of enterprises, scientific and medical centers: please invite schoolchildren to your place, let the children see the workshops, as I was offered on one of my trips, museums, and laboratories. I ask you, be sure to get involved in this work.

Based on the principles of close cooperation between education and real sector enterprises, we are implementing the “Professionalism” project. It made it possible to update educational programs for aircraft and shipbuilding, pharmaceuticals, electronics, defense and other industries.

For these areas, about a million specialists in blue-collar professions will need to be trained by 2028. We must extend such approaches to the entire system of secondary vocational education, including training for schools, hospitals, clinics, the service sector, tourism, cultural institutions, and creative industries.

I separately instruct the Government, together with the regions, to implement a program for repairing and equipping secondary vocational education institutions. It is necessary to put in order not only educational buildings, but also sports facilities, dormitories of technical schools and colleges. Over six years, we will allocate 120 billion rubles from the federal budget for these purposes.

We will also allocate an additional 124 billion rubles and over the next six years we will carry out major renovations of about 800 university dormitories.

Now about higher education in general. The goal is for centers of science and education to develop throughout the country. To achieve this, we will build 25 university campuses by 2030. We have already talked about this, but now I think it is necessary to say it again: in this regard, I propose to expand this program and in total build at least 40 such campuses.

We will have to allocate about 400 billion rubles from the federal budget for these purposes, naturally, providing all the conditions on campuses so that students, graduate students, teachers, and young families can study, work and raise children.

In general, it is necessary to literally analyze all the life situations that young mothers and young parents face, and taking this into account, adjust the work of the system of public services, the social sphere, healthcare, urban and rural infrastructure. I ask the Government and the regions to carefully consider all these issues.

Further. In his address last year, he announced significant changes in the organization of higher education and the need to use the best domestic experience here. The professional foundations of a future specialist are laid in the first years, where fundamental disciplines are taught. I consider it necessary to increase the level of remuneration for teachers of such subjects. I ask the Government to propose specific parameters for this solution and begin their implementation as early as September 1 in pilot mode.

Additional resources will be required: according to preliminary estimates, this year – about 1.5 billion, then – 4.5 billion. We have also counted this money.

It is important for us to increase the potential and quality of the entire higher education system and support universities that are striving for development. Our Priority 2030 program is aimed at this. Its financing is expected until the end of this year. Of course, I propose to extend it for another six years and allocate an additional 190 billion rubles.

The criteria for the effectiveness of participating universities should be personnel and technological projects with regions, economic and social sectors, the creation of actually working innovative companies and start-ups, and the attraction of foreign students. Of course, we will evaluate the work of all Russian universities, colleges, and technical schools by how much their graduates are in demand and how their salaries are growing.

Dear friends!

Now a few words about the technological basis of development. The basis here is science, of course. At a meeting with scientists and employees of the Russian Academy of Sciences, which celebrated its 300th anniversary this year, he said that even in the most difficult periods, Russia has never given up solving problems of a fundamental nature, has always thought about the future, and now we must do the same . In fact, that’s what we try to do.

For example, no other country in the world has such a range of megascience-class scientific installations as Russia has today. These are unique opportunities both for our scientists and for partners, researchers from other countries, whom we invite to cooperation.

The domestic scientific infrastructure is our powerful competitive advantage both in the field of fundamental science and in creating the groundwork for pharmaceuticals, biology, medicine, microelectronics, the chemical industry and the production of new materials, for the development of space programs.

I believe that we must more than double the total investments of the state and business in research and development, bring their share to two percent of GDP by 2030 and, by this indicator, become one of the leading scientific powers in the world.

I would like to repeat once again: at the same time, investments in science and from private business must increase significantly – no less than doubling by 2030. Of course, the main thing is the effectiveness of such investments. We are talking about achieving a specific scientific result in each specific case. Here we need to use the positive experience of our federal research programs in genetics, agriculture, and projects of the Russian Science Foundation.

Taking into account current tasks and challenges, we have adjusted the Strategy for Scientific and Technological Development of Russia. In its logic, we are also launching new national projects of technological sovereignty. I will name their main directions.

First. We must be independent, have all the technological keys in such sensitive areas as preserving the health of citizens and food security.

Second. It is necessary to achieve technological sovereignty in cross-cutting areas that ensure the sustainability of the entire country’s economy. These are means of production and machine tools, robotics, all types of transport, unmanned aircraft, marine and other systems, data economics, new materials and chemistry.

Third. We must create globally competitive products based on unique domestic developments, including in the field of space, nuclear and new energy technologies. Already now it is necessary to create a legal environment for the development of industries and markets of the future, to form a long-term, at least until the end of the current decade, order for high-tech products, so that companies understand what rules they should work by.

It is also necessary to establish internal cooperation chains and international technological platforms, launch serial production of our own equipment and components, and focus geological exploration on the search for rare earth materials and other raw materials for the new economy. We have it all.

Let me emphasize that we are talking about our strategic foundation for the future, so we will set up all the tools and development mechanisms we have to solve these problems, and we will provide priority budget funding. I ask the Government and the Federal Assembly to take this into account when preparing the budget. I always ask to see this as a top priority.

Technological sovereignty projects should become the engine of renewal of our industry, helping the entire economy reach advanced levels of efficiency and competitiveness. I propose setting a goal here: the share of domestic high-tech goods and services in the domestic market over the next six years should increase by one and a half times, and the volume of non-resource and non-energy exports by at least two-thirds.

Let me give you a few more numbers. In 1999, our share of imports reached 26 percent of GDP—we imported almost 30 percent of everything from abroad. Last year it already amounted to 19 percent of GDP, or 32 trillion rubles. And in the period until 2030, it is necessary to reach a level of imports of no more than 17 percent of GDP.

And this means that we ourselves must produce consumer and other goods in much larger volumes: medicines, equipment, machines, vehicles, and so on. We cannot do everything; we do not need to strive to produce everything. But the Government knows what needs to be worked on.

Let me emphasize: taking into account the demographic challenges we are faced with, the high demand, and frankly speaking, the shortage of personnel, it is critically important for us to radically increase labor productivity – this is one of the key tasks.

And this means the introduction of digital technologies in management, the growth of energy and resource-efficient economic proposals and the implementation of such proposals, the end-to-end modernization of industrial capacities, their robotization and automation. By 2030, Russia should be among the 25 leading countries in the world in terms of the number of industrial robots. You know, if we keep in mind what we have today, this will be a good result.

We will continue to create special industry competence centers, where the best practices of lean production in the economy and social sphere will be generalized and replicated. By 2030, at least 40 percent of medium and large enterprises in basic and primary sectors of the economy, and all social institutions must be covered by projects to increase labor productivity. This is a general, huge, but very important job.

In addition, advanced engineering schools, which are created on the basis of universities, should be aimed at increasing efficiency and re-equipping production. Our goal was to create 50 such schools. 30 of them have already been created, and we are launching another 20 this year.

I propose to expand this program to another 50 engineering schools. That is, in total, develop a network across the country – a network of 100 such centers that will train highly qualified specialists and offer original technical solutions in a variety of areas: in industry, agriculture, construction, transport, and the social sphere. .

Of course, we always need to use artificial intelligence in each of these areas—we should strive for this. It is also necessary to modernize the network of scientific and technical libraries in universities and scientific organizations, to make them real digital centers of knowledge and information. We will allocate an additional 9 billion rubles for these purposes.

Dear Colleagues!

In recent years, hundreds of new plants, factories and production facilities have opened in Russia. They open up, they open up, we are already used to it. This is an ongoing work. But among them are such industrial giants as the Udokan mining and metallurgical plant in Transbaikalia, the Taishet aluminum smelter in the Irkutsk region, the Murmansk center for the construction of large-capacity offshore structures, and ZapSibNeftekhim in the Tyumen region. This list, of course, can be continued.

Please note that in the next six years, the level of gross added value of the Russian manufacturing industry should increase by no less than 40 percent compared to 2022. Such accelerated industrial development means the creation of thousands of new industries, modern, well-paid jobs.

We have already formed a kind of industrial “menu”. Companies implementing industrial projects can choose optimal support measures, agreements on the protection and promotion of capital investments, special investment contracts, a cluster investment platform, and so on. Quite a lot of tools have been invented and are being used. We will definitely develop all these mechanisms.

Thus, over six years, we will allocate an additional 120 billion rubles to subsidize companies for R&D, as well as to expand industrial mortgages. And thanks to this program, we will additionally build and modernize more than 10 million square meters of production space. I just want to point out for comparison. By the way, this is a plus for the pace that we have already gained.

Here’s for comparison. Today, about four million square meters of production space are built annually in Russia. This is a significant indicator of the renewal of our industrial potential, and we will, as I said, make an additional 10 million.

Further. We will replenish the Industrial Development Fund by 300 billion rubles. We will almost double its capital and aim it at supporting high-tech projects. We will additionally allocate at least 200 billion more within the framework of the cluster investment platform to subsidize interest rates for projects for the production of priority industrial products. In order to stimulate the renewal of production capacities of manufacturing enterprises, I propose to increase the base for calculating depreciation for them. It will amount to 200 percent of the costs of Russian equipment and R&D. This seems like a boring substance, but I’ll explain what we’re talking about. If a company purchases domestic machines for 10 million rubles, then it will be able to reduce the tax base by 20 million. This is serious support.

We will continue the development of industrial technology parks with an emphasis on locating small and medium-sized businesses according to our technological priorities. Here it is important to take advantage of the cluster approach, when companies grow together with their subcontractors and suppliers, and their cooperation produces a mutually beneficial effect for everyone. I would like to draw the attention of the Government: by 2030, it is necessary to create at least 100 more such sites. They should form growth points throughout the country and stimulate investment.

We set a goal: by 2030, the volume of investment in key industries should increase by 70 percent. By the way, we have good dynamics here. I would even like to say, very good. Good.

The cumulative growth rate of investments in 2021 was 8.6 percent, and the plan was 4.5. In 2022 – 15.9 percent with a plan of 9.5. And over the nine months of last year, with a plan for the year of 15.1 percent, the increase was 26.6 percent. We must continue to move at an accelerated pace.

Our banking system and stock market must fully ensure the influx of capital into the economy, into its real sector, including through the mechanisms of project and equity financing. In the next two years, industrial projects with investments of more than 200 billion rubles will be supported using equity funds. The meaning of this mechanism is that the VEB.RF Development Corporation, with the participation of commercial banks, enters into the capital of high-tech companies and provides assistance during the phase of their active growth.

I have already given instructions to launch a special regime for initial public offerings of shares of companies operating in priority high-tech areas. I would like to draw the attention of my colleagues in both the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank: it is necessary to speed up the launch of this mechanism, including compensation for the costs of placing securities. You have to do it eventually.

I repeat: the Russian stock market needs to strengthen its role as a source of investment. Its capitalization by 2030 should double from the current level and amount to 66 percent of GDP. At the same time, it is important that citizens have the opportunity to reliably invest their savings in the development of the country and receive additional income.

A decision has already been made: voluntary savings in non-state pension funds in the amount of up to 2.8 million rubles will be insured by the state, that is, their return is guaranteed.

In addition, long-term individual and investment accounts will be insured for up to 1.4 million rubles. We will extend a single tax deduction to citizens’ investments in long-term financial instruments in the amount of up to 400,000 rubles per year.

At the same time, I consider it necessary to launch a new instrument – the so-called savings certificate. Citizens will be able to place their savings in banks for a long period of time – more than three years. The certificate will be irrevocable, which means banks will be able to offer customers higher favorable interest income. Of course, these citizens’ funds will also be insured by the state in the amount of up to 2.8 million rubles, that is, twice as much as for ordinary bank deposits.

Let me emphasize: all measures of state support for investment, the creation and modernization of enterprises must be linked to an increase in employee wages, improvement of working conditions and social packages for workers.

Of course, there is a fundamental requirement: domestic business must operate in Russian jurisdiction and not withdraw funds abroad, where, as it turns out, everything can be lost. And now my business colleagues and I are meeting and thinking about how we can help them get something out of there. We don’t need to take him there, and then we won’t have to decide how to return him.

Resources need to be invested in Russia, in the regions, in the development of companies, in personnel training. The most reliable protection of assets and capital of Russian business is our strong, sovereign country.

The vast majority of entrepreneurs take domestic, patriotic positions. And a business that operates here in Russia must have guarantees of the inviolability of property, assets and its new investments. Investments here and the protection of investments, protection of the rights of entrepreneurs are interconnected, of course, and we must ensure this. This is in the interests of the state, the entire society, in the interests of millions of people who work in private business, large, medium, and small.

I have always said and will say again: no one – neither government officials nor law enforcement officers – is allowed to oppress people, break the law or use it for personal gain. People, including those from the business community – and now I’m talking about them – need help. They create jobs, provide jobs, pay people salaries. This is the calling of the authorities – to help.

Dear Colleagues!

Small and medium-sized businesses are making an increasingly significant contribution to economic growth. Today its share in such industries as manufacturing, tourism, IT exceeds 21 percent. Hundreds of new domestic brands made their presence known. Last year, one million 200,000 new companies in the field of small and medium-sized businesses were registered in Russia.

Please note: this is the highest figure in the last five years. People strive to start their own business, believe in themselves, in their country and in their success. I would especially like to note that in 2023 the number of young entrepreneurs under the age of 25 increased by 20 percent. Today there are more than 240,000.

This creative energy must be supported so that the average income per worker employed in small and medium-sized businesses grows faster than the GDP growth rate over the next six years. That is, the efficiency of such a business and its quality indicators should increase.

I have already said that there should not be a situation where it is actually unprofitable for companies to gain momentum, because tax payments increase sharply when switching from a simplified to a general tax regime. It turns out that the state is pushing businesses towards fragmentation – towards other methods of so-called optimization of the fiscal burden.

I ask the Government, together with parliamentarians, to work out the parameters of an amnesty for small companies that, despite the actual growth of their business, were forced to use tax optimization schemes.

What’s important here? Such companies must, of course, abandon the artificial, essentially feigned, fragmentation of business – move on to normal, civilized work “in white”. At the same time, I will emphasize: there will be no fines – I especially emphasize this – there will be no fines, sanctions, or recalculation of taxes for previous periods. This is the meaning of the amnesty.

In addition, I instruct the Government, starting next year, to provide a mechanism for not a sharp, but rather a gradual increase in the tax burden for companies that are switching from the “simplified” tax system to the general taxation system.

Further. We took a decision such as a temporary moratorium on inspections. This measure was completely justified. Companies that guarantee high quality goods and services and are responsible to consumers can and should be trusted.

Therefore, I consider it possible to abandon temporary moratoriums on business inspections from January 1, 2025 and instead, taking into account the accumulated experience, completely switch to a risk-oriented approach, enshrining it in law. Where there are no risks, it is necessary to apply preventive measures and thus minimize the number of inspections.

And one more thing: I propose to give small businesses a special right – once every five years to take out credit holidays for up to six months without deteriorating their credit history.

I repeat: we need to create all the conditions for small and medium-sized companies to develop dynamically, and for the quality of this growth to increase due to high-tech areas of the manufacturing business. In general, the tax regime for small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises should be relaxed.

I ask the Government to submit specific proposals in this regard. We’ve talked about this many times. Please, the proposals are already ripe, in fact.

I would especially like to note the work of small and medium-sized businesses in rural areas and in the agro-industrial complex. Now we not only fully provide ourselves with food. Russia is the leader in the global wheat market. We are one of the twenty leading food exporting countries. I thank agricultural workers, farmers, specialists involved in agriculture in general – thank you for the impressive results.

By 2030, the volume of production of the Russian agro-industrial complex should still increase by at least a quarter compared to 2021, and exports should increase by one and a half times. We will definitely continue to support the industry, as well as the program for the comprehensive development of rural areas, including the renovation and modernization of post offices.

We use a special solution for the development of coastal regions. Let me remind you: we have a “keel quota” rule. It must be strictly followed. What we are talking about, as some of those present here know, is that companies receive quotas for seafood production under the obligation to purchase new Russian-made fishing vessels and renew the fleet.

At the same time, this year the federal budget received significant money from the sale of seafood quotas – about 200 billion rubles. Anton Germanovich [Siluanov] is here, we agreed with him – I propose that part of these funds be targeted for the social development of municipalities, which are the base of our fishing industry.

Dear Colleagues!

In modern conditions, increasing the efficiency of all areas of labor productivity is inextricably linked with digitalization, with the use of artificial intelligence technologies – I have already mentioned this. Such solutions make it possible to create digital platforms that allow optimal interaction between citizens, business and the state.

Thus, it is necessary to create a platform that will help citizens maintain and maintain health throughout their lives and use the potential of the entire healthcare system. For example, based on digital profile data, he will be able to receive a remote opinion from a specialist at a federal medical center, and a doctor or family physician will be able to assess the holistic picture of a person’s health, predict the occurrence of diseases, prevent complications, and choose individual and therefore the most effective treatment tactics.

Everything I’m talking about is not some kind of speculation about the distant future. Such practices are already being introduced into the work of leading medical centers. The goal is to distribute them throughout the country, make them widespread and accessible.

I believe that by 2030 it is necessary to create digital platforms in all key sectors of the economy and social sphere. These and other complex tasks will be solved within the framework of the new national project “Data Economy”. We will allocate at least 700 billion rubles for its implementation over the next six years.

For the state, such technologies and integrated platforms open up enormous opportunities for planning and developing the economy of individual industries, regions and cities, for the effective management of our programs and national projects. The main thing is that we will be able to continue to build the work of all levels of government around the interests of every person, every family, to provide state and municipal services to citizens and businesses proactively, in a convenient format with the fastest possible results.

By the way, Russia is already one of the world leaders in the implementation of government services in electronic form. Many, including European countries, have yet to reach our level. But we, of course, should not and do not intend to stand still.

An important element of digital platforms are artificial intelligence algorithms. Here we also must be self-sufficient and competitive. A decree has already been signed approving the updated version of the National Strategy for the Development of Artificial Intelligence. It sets new goals, including the need to ensure technological sovereignty in such revolutionary areas as generative artificial intelligence and large language models. Their implementation promises a real breakthrough in the economy and social sphere; this should be a real breakthrough. To do this we need to increase our computing resources. Thus, by 2030, the total capacity of domestic supercomputers should be increased by at least 10 times. This is an absolutely realistic task.

In general, it is necessary to develop the entire infrastructure of the data economy. I ask the Government to propose specific measures to support companies and start-ups that produce equipment for storing and processing data, and also create software. It is necessary that the growth rate of investment in domestic IT solutions be at least twice as high as the growth rate of the economy. Conditions for the use of digital systems should be not only in megacities, but also in small towns, rural areas and remote areas, along federal and regional highways, local roads. To do this, within the next decade it is necessary to provide access to high-speed Internet throughout almost the entire territory of Russia. We will solve this problem, including by multiplying our satellite constellation, and will allocate 116 billion rubles for its development.

Dear Colleagues!

Now I would like to dwell separately on issues of regional development. What’s on offer? First of all, it is necessary to reduce the debt burden of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. I consider it necessary to write off two-thirds of the regions’ debt on budget loans. According to estimates, this will allow them to save about 200 billion rubles annually from 2025 to 2028.

Please note: these saved funds should be, as they say, “coloured” and targeted by the regions to support investments and infrastructure projects. Dear colleagues, I draw your attention to this.

Further. In 2021, we launched a program of infrastructure budget loans worth 500 billion rubles, then expanded it to one trillion. Let me remind you that such loans are provided to the region at three percent per annum for a period of up to 15 years. An excellent tool for development. These funds are allocated for development projects, and the regions note the high efficiency of this mechanism. These loans are not written off, but this year the constituent entities of the Federation will begin to repay these debts. And I propose to reinvest the funds that are returned to the federal budget into the development of the regions, direct them to issue new infrastructure budget loans, and in general, starting from 2025, we will increase the portfolio of infrastructure loans to the constituent entities of the Federation by at least 250 billion rubles annually.

I also believe that regions need to be given greater opportunities to manage funds in order to achieve the goals of national projects.

Let me give you a specific example. A subject of the Federation is modernizing, say, a clinic and has carried out high-quality repairs. If there are funds left, they can not be returned to the federal budget, but can be used, say, to purchase equipment for a renovated clinic, and so on.

And of course, we will support those subjects of the Federation that have potential for development, but we need to help open it, launch projects in the real sector of the economy, infrastructure that will become drivers in these territories.

Currently, 10 subjects of the Federation with low budgetary resources are implementing individual programs for socio-economic development. I ask the Government to extend these programs for another six years.

By 2030, all our regions should become more economically self-sufficient. I repeat, this is a question of justice, equal conditions for the self-realization of citizens and high standards of living throughout the country.

Dear Colleagues!

As you can see, the plans are big, and so are the expenses. Large-scale investments are coming in the social sphere, demography, economics, science, technology, and infrastructure.

In this regard, I would like to talk about the tax system. Of course, it must ensure the flow of resources to solve national problems, as well as for the implementation of regional programs, and is designed to reduce inequality, not only in society, but also in the socio-economic development of the constituent entities of the Federation; take into account the income level of citizens and companies.

I propose to think through approaches to modernizing our fiscal system, to a more equitable distribution of the tax burden towards those with higher personal and corporate incomes.

And on the contrary, we need to reduce the tax burden on families, including through the deductions that I already mentioned today. To stimulate businesses that invest in development, in the implementation of infrastructure and social projects. At the same time, it is, of course, necessary to close all sorts of loopholes that are used by some companies to evade taxes or understate their tax payments. I ask the State Duma and the Government to submit a specific set of proposals in this regard in the near future. And in the future, taking into account the adopted changes, I propose to fix the main tax parameters until 2030 and thereby ensure stable and predictable conditions for the implementation of any, including long-term, investment projects. This is exactly what businesses ask for during our direct contacts.

Dear Colleagues!

Decisions in the field of financial support for regions and economic growth should work to improve the quality of life of people, and in all subjects of the Federation. We have already extended until 2030 special development programs for such regions as the North Caucasus and the Kaliningrad region, Donbass and Novorossia, Crimea and Sevastopol, the Arctic and the Far East. Master development plans have been prepared for 22 Far Eastern cities and agglomerations, and the same work is underway for settlements in the Arctic.

Now we must take the next step. I propose to determine a list of more than 200 large and small cities. For each of them, its own master plan must be developed and implemented, and in general the development program must cover about 2,000 settlements, including villages and towns. The solutions to support the constituent entities of the Federation that I spoke about today, including infrastructure loans, should also work here.

I would like to appeal to the heads of regions. These resources should also be used to expand the capabilities of municipalities. Yes, I remember a meeting with the heads of some municipalities at their forum here in Moscow. The local level of government has a special role and responsibility. This is where people and citizens go with their daily needs. I would like to thank our mayors, district heads, and deputies for your work and attention to people’s needs. And I would especially like to mention municipal employees who work in close proximity to the combat zone and share all the trials with their fellow countrymen.

Co-authors of plans for the development of cities and towns should be their residents. We need to actively use mechanisms where citizens themselves determine which objects and which problems should be allocated money first. I propose to increase co-financing of such essentially public projects from the federal and regional budgets.

We will also extend the all-Russian competition for the best projects to create a comfortable urban environment in small towns and historical settlements until 2030.

In Russia as a whole, we will improve more than 30,000 public spaces in six years. I also ask the Government to provide additional support to regions that are reconstructing embankments, parks, public gardens and historical city centers. We will allocate 360 ​​billion rubles for improvement and major projects in this area.

Ancient buildings, estates, temples are the visible embodiment of our national identity, the inextricable connection of generations. I ask the Government, parliamentarians, and specialized commissions of the State Council with the participation of the public, of course, to analyze the regulatory framework in the field of protection and use of cultural heritage sites. It is necessary to eliminate clearly redundant, contradictory requirements, due to which sometimes the monument is destroyed before our eyes, and formally, according to the law, it is impossible to promptly take measures to save it.

I propose to formulate a long-term program for the preservation of Russian cultural heritage sites. I hope that we will accept it for 20 years. It is necessary to provide measures to support citizens, companies, and public associations who are ready to invest their labor, time and money in the restoration of monuments.

We will try such mechanisms this year in a pilot project of the Development Institute “DOM.RF”. Five regions will take part in it: Transbaikalia, Novgorod, Ryazan, Smolensk and Tver regions. And by 2030, at least a thousand cultural heritage sites throughout the country must be put in order, given a second life, so that they serve people and decorate our cities and villages.

We will definitely continue fundamental projects in the field of culture and maintain their funding. We will update the infrastructure of museums, theaters, libraries, clubs, art schools, and cinemas. Over six years, we will additionally allocate more than 100 billion rubles to educational, educational, historical and other popular creative projects in cinema, on the Internet, and on social networks.

I also propose expanding the Pushkin Card program, with the help of which schoolchildren and young people can visit cinemas, museums, theaters and exhibitions for free, and cultural institutions themselves receive an incentive to develop and launch new projects, including with the participation of business. I ask the Government to prepare its additional proposals.

In addition, by analogy with the “Zemstvo Teacher” and “Zemstvo Doctor” programs, we will launch the “Zemstvo Cultural Worker” program in 2025. People talk about this in meetings all the time. A specialist who moves to work in a village or small town will be able to receive a one-time payment of 1 million rubles, and in the Far East, Donbass and Novorossia this amount will be twice as high – 2 million rubles.

Another additional decision that needs to be finalized and accepted. I ask the Government to provide special conditions for family mortgages specifically for small towns, as well as for those regions where new apartment buildings are being built in small quantities or there are none at all. We need to do this as quickly as possible and resolve the issue of key parameters, including the size of the down payment and the loan rate. I ask you to keep this in mind, I will wait for suggestions from you.

Further. We will also continue special mortgage programs with a rate of 2 percent for residents of the Far East and the Arctic, Donbass and Novorossia. Participants and veterans of special military operations will be able to receive loans on the same preferential terms in these regions.

We will separately support projects for the integrated development of residential areas, the construction of residential neighborhoods with all the infrastructure in regions with an insufficient level of socio-economic development, where many of our usual proposals do not work. For these territories, we will allocate an additional 120 billion rubles for these purposes.

In this regard, the following system task. With federal support, many regions have significantly increased the rate of resettlement of emergency housing. In total, over the past 16 years, 1 million 730,000 people have moved to new apartments. In the next six years, it is important not to slow down this momentum. I ask the Government to prepare and launch a new program for the resettlement of emergency housing.

As for housing and communal services systems, we will increase the pace of modernization of utility infrastructure. A total of 4.5 trillion rubles will be allocated for these purposes by 2030, including private companies.

We will continue the implementation of our Clean Water project. For many of our cities and rural settlements this problem is extremely pressing. First of all, we are talking about a reliable supply of high-quality drinking water.

A separate topic is gasification. There are plans to provide this environmentally friendly fuel to the cities and regions of Yakutia, Buryatia, Khabarovsk, Primorsky, Transbaikal Territories, Murmansk and Amur Regions, the Jewish Autonomous Region, Karelia, and such a large Russian city as Krasnoyarsk. We are also using LNG to gasify the Kamchatka Territory and some other areas.

Naturally, this will make it possible to expand the social gasification program. Thanks to it, gas has already been supplied free of charge to the borders of 1.1 million areas. Applications are still being accepted, and we are helping privileged categories of citizens, including families of participants in the special military operation, with gas communications inside the site.

What would I like to say separately now? Within the borders of many settlements where network gas has already been installed, gardening associations are located. People have been tending their plots of land for years, sometimes from generation to generation, and now they are building houses there in which they can live all year round, but they cannot connect to the networks, because gardening partnerships are not included in the Social Gasification program.

The problem affects millions of families! Of course, it needs to be solved, and solved in the interests of our citizens, namely, to expand the social gasification program and continue the networks to the borders of the plots with the house of gardening associations.

Residents of remote northern and Far Eastern territories, where there will be no network gas in the coming years, will also receive support. Today they pay for their houses with coal or firewood. Now, with the help of subsidies from the state, they will be able to purchase modern, environmentally friendly equipment, and of domestic production. The families most in need should receive support first. We will also allocate an additional 32 billion rubles for these purposes.

Taking into account modern environmental standards, we will develop public transport and reduce its age. By 2030, the constituent entities of the Federation will additionally receive about 40,000 buses, trolleybuses, trams, and electric buses. We will additionally allocate 150 billion rubles from the federal budget for this public transport renewal program.

We will also update the school bus fleet at a rate of at least 3,000 vehicles per year, which is especially important for small towns and rural areas. Both residents and heads of municipalities and regions talk about this. Indeed, a very important program. Therefore, we will allocate an additional 66 billion rubles for the purchase of school buses. And of course, this must be equipment produced in Russia, either entirely or with a high degree of localization.

As you know, as part of the Clean Air project in 12 industrial centers of Russia, it was possible to reduce harmful emissions into the atmosphere. Since last year, 29 more cities have joined the project. In the country as a whole, the volume of harmful emissions into the atmosphere should be halved. We will move towards this goal step by step. To evaluate the results, we will create a comprehensive system for monitoring environmental quality.

Over the past 5 years, thousands of kilometers of rivers and banks have been cleaned, and dirty runoff into the Volga has been reduced by almost half. Now I propose to set a goal – to halve the pollution of Russia’s main water bodies.

Over the past 5 years, 128 large landfills in cities and 80 sites of accumulated environmental damage that were literally poisoning the lives of people in 53 regions of Russia have been eliminated. The territories of the Krasny Bor landfill, the Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill and Usolye-Sibirsky have been brought into a safe state.

In this regard, dear colleagues, I would like to emphasize. So far, only the most urgent measures have been carried out at these sites, but that is not all. Under no circumstances should they be left in the same condition as they are now. We must complete this work and create all the necessary infrastructure here.

In general, throughout Russia we will continue to eliminate the most dangerous objects of accumulated environmental damage. In the next 6 years, at least 50 such points of high environmental risks must be eliminated.

It is necessary to create incentives for business and introduce green technologies, and switch to a circular economy. Moreover, we have, essentially, created a modern waste management industry from scratch. 250 enterprises have been built for their processing and disposal. The goal by 2030 is to sort everything that needs to be sorted, all solid waste, and reuse at least a quarter of it. We will allocate additional financial resources for such projects, and together with business we will build about 400 more waste management facilities and eight eco-industrial parks.

What else do I want to say? During meetings with citizens in the Far East, Siberia, and other regions, the topic of saving our forest wealth, the need to bring order to illegal logging and the protection of forests was repeatedly raised. This topic really has a huge public resonance. It is important for almost every person, we are here, as they say, with the whole world joining forces, and the situation is gradually changing.

A very important milestone: starting from 2021, more forests are being restored in Russia than are being cut down. I want to thank for this result the volunteers, schoolchildren, students, all citizens who planted trees, participated in environmental actions, and, of course, business representatives for supporting such projects. We will definitely continue to restore forests, parks, and gardens, including around agglomerations and industrial centers.

In a separate decision, I propose to increase the salaries of specialists who work in forestry, meteorology, and environmental protection, that is, they deal with the most important issues of environmental well-being. I must honestly say that the issues they solve are very important, and their income is very modest.

To support civil initiatives in the field of environmental protection, I consider it necessary to establish a fund for environmental and environmental projects. To begin with, the total volume of its grants will be 1 billion rubles per year.

Work will also continue to preserve specially protected natural areas, protect and restore rare and endangered species of plants and animals. In this regard, I propose to think about opening a network of rehabilitation centers for injured and confiscated wild animals.

By 2030, we will create an eco-tourism infrastructure in all national parks of the country, including eco-trails and hiking routes, including weekend routes for schoolchildren, recreation areas, museums and visitor centers.

Modern, safe infrastructure will appear near water bodies, including Lake Baikal. A year-round resort will open here by 2030. At the same time, I think it is important to strictly adhere to the “zero pollution” principle, that is, the complete absence of waste and untreated wastewater into the lake. The construction of the Baikal resort will become part of the large Five Seas project.

Modern hotel complexes will also appear on the coasts of the Caspian, Baltic, Azov, Black and Japanese seas. This project alone will increase the domestic tourist flow by another 10 million people per year.

And in the country as a whole – taking into account the dynamic development of such tourist centers as Altai, Kamchatka, Kuzbass, the North Caucasus, Karelia, and the Russian North – by 2030 the tourist flow should practically double to 140 million people per year. At the same time, the contribution of tourism to Russia’s GDP will also double – to five percent. We will develop additional solutions in this regard in the near future.

The development of tourism and the region as a whole is ensured by transport infrastructure. High-speed traffic between Moscow and Kazan has already opened; this year we will extend the highway to Yekaterinburg, and next year to Tyumen. In the future, a modern and safe route will pass through the entire country – to Vladivostok.

Also, in six years, more than 50 city bypasses should be built in Russia. A new significant road project is, of course, the construction of the Dzhubga – Sochi highway. It will reduce travel time from the M-4 Don highway to Sochi by four times – to one and a half hours – and, moreover, will allow the Black Sea coast to actively develop.

But I want to say right away – we agreed with the Government, I also want to say this publicly – this is, of course, a complex and very capital-intensive project: there are continuous tunnels and bridges, an expensive project. But nevertheless, I ask the Government to provide a scheme for financing it. Work through it.

We have already put federal highways and almost 85 percent of roads in large agglomerations in order. We must strictly maintain this level. At the same time, in the coming years we will place special emphasis on the development of regional roads.

Air travel should become more affordable. It is necessary to increase the so-called aviation mobility of citizens; by 2030, the intensity of air traffic in Russia should increase one and a half times compared to last year.

To achieve this, we plan to accelerate the development of intra- and interregional air communications. And here the Government faces a specific task: to modernize the infrastructure of at least 75 airports in six years – this is more than a third of Russia’s airport network. We will allocate at least 250 billion rubles for these purposes. This will be direct budget financing.

It is also necessary to update the air fleet of our airlines using our own domestic aircraft. They must meet all modern requirements for quality, convenience and safety – a difficult task. They bought too much air transport abroad, but did not develop their own production.

But nevertheless, advanced Russian developments in mechanical engineering, construction, communications and digital systems will also be in demand in creating a network of high-speed railways. I will also say a few words in this area.

The first route between Moscow and St. Petersburg will pass through Tver and our ancient capital – Veliky Novgorod. Then we will build highways to Kazan and the Urals, Rostov-on-Don, the Black Sea coast, Minsk, fraternal Belarus, and other popular destinations.

Large-scale modernization of the Central Transport Hub will continue. Moscow central diameters will become the basis for connecting the capital region with Yaroslavl, Tver, Kaluga, Vladimir and other regions with modern high-speed routes.

It is also necessary to modernize the supporting network of inland waterways. Due to this, we will ensure additional economic effects in the field of tourism, in the field of industrial development, and the development of certain sensitive regions that are very important for us, including the regions of the Far North.

What do I want to say here additionally? Modern infrastructure directly works to increase the capitalization of all assets of the country, regions that use their transit tourism potentials can bring into circulation land plots for industrial and agricultural facilities, and for citizens this is an opportunity to build a house for a large family, to live in more comfortable conditions, for business means new prospects, including in foreign markets.

In this regard, a separate issue that was raised at one of my meetings is the queues at border checkpoints. This problem is especially acute in the Far East. According to the regulations, customs inspection is 19 minutes; in reality, almost every truck driver often waits at the border for hours.

Colleagues from the Ministry of Transport are faced with a specific task: the typical inspection time for freight transport at the border should not exceed ten minutes. Modern technologies make this possible.

Such requirements are also important for the rhythmic operation of the North-South transport corridor, which will connect Russia with the countries of the Middle East and Asia. It will be based not only on road routes, but also on seamless rail transport all the way from our ports on the Baltic and Barents Sea to the coast of the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. We will also increase the capacity of railways in the southern direction, which will make it possible to actively use the port capacities of the Azov and Black Seas.

The third stage of expansion of the Eastern range of the railways – BAM and Trans-Siberian Railway – is being launched. At one time, sorry for the bad manners, we yawned a little, didn’t do something on time, but okay – now we have to catch up and we will make up for it. By 2030, their throughput will increase from 173 to 210 million tons per year. At the same time, the ports of Vanino and Sovetskaya Gavan should be developed.

The area of ​​special attention is the further development of the Northern Sea Route. We invite foreign logistics companies and states to actively use the opportunities of this global transport corridor. Last year, 36 million tons of cargo passed through it. I draw your attention, colleagues: this is five times more than the record figure during the Soviet Union – five times! We will provide year-round navigation on the Northern Sea Route. We will increase the turnover of our northern ports, including the Murmansk transport hub and, of course, build up the Arctic fleet.

Last year, the unique research icebreaking platform “North Pole” entered the raid. At the beginning of this year, the new nuclear icebreaker Leningrad was laid down at the Baltic Shipyard. Next year we will lay down another ship of the same class, the Stalingrad. And at the Far Eastern shipyard “Zvezda” a new generation icebreaker is being built – “Leader”, with twice the power.

Based on our domestic shipyards, we plan to significantly update the merchant fleet: tankers, gas carriers, container ships. This will allow Russian business to build effective trade flows in the conditions of changing logistics and fundamental changes in the global economy.

Dear citizens of Russia! Dear friends!

I would like to say separately. I constantly meet with participants in special military operations. These are both career military personnel and volunteers, people of civilian professions who were mobilized for military service. All of them took up arms in their hands to defend their Motherland.

You know, I look at these courageous people, sometimes very young guys, and, without any exaggeration, I can say that my heart is filled with pride for our people, for our people and for these particular people. Such people, of course, will not retreat, will not let you down and will not betray you.

They should take leading positions both in the system of education and upbringing of youth, and in public associations, in state-owned companies, business, in state and municipal administration, and lead regions, enterprises, and ultimately, the largest domestic projects. Such true heroes and patriots are sometimes quite modest and reserved in life; they do not boast of their successes, do not utter loud slogans and words. But at turning points in history, it is precisely such people who come to the fore and take responsibility. Such people, who think about the country and live by its destiny, can be entrusted with Russia in the future.

You know that the word “elite” has discredited itself in many ways. Those who, without any merit to society, consider themselves some kind of caste with special rights and privileges, especially those who in previous years filled their pockets through all sorts of processes in the economy of the 90s, they are definitely not the elite . I repeat, the true, real elite is everyone who serves Russia, workers and warriors, reliable, proven, who have proven their devotion to Russia, worthy people.

In this regard, about a new, I think, important decision: starting tomorrow, March 1, 2024, veterans of the special military operation, as well as soldiers and officers who are currently fighting in active units, will be able to apply to participate in the first training stream special personnel program. Let’s call it “The Time of Heroes.” This idea, I will not hide, came to my mind when I met with students who were participants in the special military operation in St. Petersburg. This program will be built according to the same standards as our best projects: the Higher School of Public Administration, which is called the “school of governors,” as well as the “Leaders of Russia” competition. Their graduates reach high positions in many fields, even becoming ministers and heads of regions.

Military personnel and veterans with higher education and management experience, regardless of rank and position, will be able to participate in the program here. The main thing is that these must be people who have shown their best qualities and shown that they know how to lead their comrades.

Studies will begin in the coming months. The mentors for the first participants of the program will be heads of the Government, the Presidential Administration, federal ministries, departments, heads of regions and our largest companies. In the future, we will expand such personnel programs, launch management courses at the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, and I consider it necessary to legislatively increase the status of the Academy.

In addition, veterans and participants in the special military operation will be able to receive higher education and a civilian specialty in our leading universities as a priority.

I ask the Ministry of Defense and commanders of combat units to support the desire of soldiers and officers to try their hand at the new personnel program, to provide for them the opportunity to apply for participation and go to full-time training. I would like to note that the participants in the special military operation: privates, sergeants, and combat officers – already today form the backbone of our Armed Forces. And, of course, as I already said, those who intend to continue their military career will receive priority promotion when entering command courses, schools and military academies.

Dear friends!

Independence, self-sufficiency, sovereignty must be proven and confirmed every day. We are talking about our and only our responsibility for the present and for the future of Russia. This is our Motherland, the Homeland of our ancestors, and it is needed and dear only to us and, of course, to our descendants, to whom we are obliged to pass on a strong and prosperous country.

Over the past few years, we have managed to build a management system, as well as the implementation of national projects, on new principles, based on large amounts of data, modern digital technologies, which has made it possible to increase work efficiency, control risks, take into account the entire volume of information, constantly adjust projects and programs based on for feedback from citizens.

I want to thank my colleagues from the Government, departments, and regions who have painstakingly built this system all these years, both during the pandemic and under the conditions of sanctions aggression against Russia. I know that it was difficult, complex work, and most importantly, it is already paying off. We see this in the results.

We will continue to act exactly in this logic. By the end of the year, all the national projects that I spoke about today must be approved and coordinated with each other. I would like to emphasize once again: these are not projects of individual departments, they must work towards common systemic objectives, towards achieving our national development goals. At the same time, I ask the All-Russian Popular Front to continue to monitor the implementation of decisions at all levels of government.

I want to emphasize that the main result of our programs is not measured in tons, kilometers or the amount of money spent. The main thing is the assessment of people, how their lives change for the better. The scale of the historical challenges that Russia faces requires extremely clear, well-coordinated work by the state, civil society, and business.

I consider it necessary now not only to prepare a draft budget for the next three-year period, but also to set all the main expenses and investments further, for the period until 2030. That is, in essence, we need to formulate a six-year long-term financial plan for the country’s development, which we, of course, will supplement with new initiatives. Naturally, life will make adjustments.

Despite the difficult period, despite the current trials and difficulties, we are making long-term plans. The program outlined today in the Address is objective and fundamental. This is the program of a strong, sovereign country that looks confidently into the future. To achieve our goals, we have both resources and enormous opportunities.

But I will now emphasize the main thing: the implementation of all planned plans today directly depends on our soldiers, officers, volunteers – all military personnel who are now fighting at the front, on the courage and determination of our comrades in arms who defend the Motherland, rise up to attack, go forward under fire , sacrifice themselves for us, for the sake of the Fatherland. It is they, our soldiers, who are creating today the absolutely necessary conditions for the future of the country and for its development.

I bow low to you guys.

I thank all of you, dear colleagues, I thank all citizens of Russia for your solidarity and reliability. We are one big family, we are together, and therefore we will do everything as we plan and want to do, as we dream.

I believe in our victories, in successes, in the future of Russia!

Thank you.