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During his visit to RUSSIA EXPO, the head of state toured the expositions featuring SBER and Mesto Vstrechi – VK.

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Remarks at the closing ceremony of the 2^nd Congress of the Movement of the First

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, friends.

I would like to warmly welcome all of you to the 2^nd Congress of the Movement of the First, and I welcome all guests as well. This is a large team: 3,000 people have come to Moscow. In total, the Movement of the First has gained 4.7 – almost 5 million members – over a short time, with 7 million taking part in the events you organise and hold. This is an enormous army.

I would like to say that yours are interesting and beautiful acts, but I will return to this in a bit. Right now, we are meeting at VDNKh, at RUSSIA EXPO. We wanted to show what Russia has done in recent years: the past 10, 15, and 20 years. There is a lot to be proud of.

However, it’s an interesting fact: what you see here was once someone’s dream. You know, I recall postcards from early in the last century in the Far East, in Vladivostok. They show a bridge that people dreamed about: they dreamed that it would exist one day. This was at the very beginning of the last century. Today, this bridge does exist: we built it, and there is another bridge, even larger than the one that people dreamed of, as well as many more achievements that we could not even dream of back then.

I know that if you are just as confident and move purposefully towards your goals, fulfill your dreams, we will be even more successful.

Over the last year, you have done a lot, as I said: 2 million trees were planted for National Unity Day; 3 million letters were sent to our soldiers on the frontline, to people who do not spare themselves, who sacrifice themselves to defend the interests of the Motherland as part of the special military operation; about 400,000 books were collected for your peers and sent to Donbass and Novorossiya. These are all specific and tangible achievements. And of course, you will do much more in the future.

You know, both your mentors and your parents are always with you; they have always been and will always be by your side. And I really want to thank them, but it would be better – an idea just occurred to me – you and I can do this right here, together, right now. Shall we do it?

On the count of three. Inhale, one, two, three…

Audience: “Thank you!”

Vladimir Putin: I wish you all good luck.