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Mr Putin expressed his concern over the high level of infant mortality in Astrakhan Region.

Mr Zhilkin said that this has long been a problem in the region. The Governor said the reasons for this situation include a lack of financing for state-guaranteed free medical assistance, and also large migration flows: 550,000 migrants from Central Asia and the Caucasus come through the region every year.

Mr Putin and Mr Zhilkin also discussed the social and economic situation in the region in general.

Mr Zhilkin informed the President in particular about growth rates in the shipbuilding sector and preparations for the 450th anniversary of Astrakhan.

The Governor also reported on the state of work to reconstruct the Volga-Don Canal and on the implementation of a sturgeon breeding programme in the Caspian Sea, including the development of a model for cultivating valuable sturgeon species.