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The Leaders Club was established in February 2012 and is engaged primarily in having businesspeople provide independent evaluations of conditions for doing business in Russia’s regions and the quality of state service provision. The Leaders Club regional network covers more than 40 regions today.

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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, friends,

Our meeting today marks your fourth anniversary. It is not a round date yet, but nonetheless, four years have passed now since you established this informal association, to which you gave the excellent name of Leaders Club.

It is noteworthy that you had all organised things in your right first, and only then created this association. You have organised it very successfully, and I congratulate you on this.

It is good to see that you pay attention not only to developing your own businesses, but also take part in developing various initiatives, including the entrepreneurs’ initiative, which will change our country’s business climate, and I hope that this initiative is already making itself felt in substance and practice. Change is gradual, but it is taking place, and these positive steps forward are good to see.

It is also good to see that as well as business, your direct activity, in which you have all been involved for some time now, you don’t forget about charity, and you don’t forget either about finding good ways to spend your time – I remember the radio linkup you had with me from a mountain peak.

Incidentally, as I was told, this was not just an interesting and pleasant way to pass some time, but was also a very useful activity in the sense that that linkup enabled you to test new equipment. You climbed Mt Elbrus too, later. Maybe you should stop there and not climb any more mountains: we need you safe and sound here.

In short, it is a pleasure to see you.

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