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The inauguration ceremony took place at the Moscow Zaryadye Concert Hall. According to the results of the elections held on September 8–10, Sergei Sobyanin won more than 75 percent of the votes. The term of office of the capital's mayor is five years.

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Speech at Sergei Sobyanin’s inauguration as Moscow Mayor

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Friends, colleagues, Mr Sobyanin,

I am glad to personally congratulate you on assuming the office of Moscow Mayor.

During the recent election, over 75 percent of the electorate cast their votes for you. This high level of trust is proof of the Muscovites’ broad support and their approval of your initiatives, plans and, most importantly, the results of your work.

Your visible achievements are many, but the most visible and significant accomplishment that is clear to everyone, is the truly ground-breaking upgrade of the transport system. We talk about this a lot, and you pay a lot of attention to it. I mean public transport above all, of course. Its convenience, accessibility and speed have already been appreciated by residents of the entire metropolitan region, and by everyone who comes to Moscow.

The capital is open for the implementation of entrepreneurial initiatives and the introduction of advanced ideas and projects. Here, new standards are being set in housing construction and in the introduction of digital technologies and services.

Moscow is strengthening its position as a powerful scientific and industrial centre of Russia. The industries of the future are actively developing, including robotics, instrument engineering and the production of new materials.

Schools, clinics and hospitals get a makeover. Positive changes are actively taking place throughout the social sphere. Focus is placed on supporting people of older generations and, of course, our heroes, defenders of Russia.

The city is consistently and persistently creating a progressive and comfortable environment. Everything necessary for work, innovation, creativity and leisure is being done, and here Moscow is noticeably ahead of many other world capitals — I want to emphasise this — noticeably ahead of many of the world’s significant agglomerations.

Of course, the current high pace of transformation obliges the city leadership to set even more complex and ambitious goals for the next five years. I believe that the Moscow management team will only move forward, focus its efforts on the most important areas, achieve the successful implementation of new ideas and solutions and make a significant contribution to the achievement of common national development goals.

In this context, let me note that the Moscow City Hall, the Government of Russia, the federal authorities have built an effective cooperation system. I hope that in the future this joint work will continue to be as constructive and successful, and, what is most important, that it will achieve high results.

Using the capital’s experience among other things, we will continue to upgrade the transport infrastructure in all the regions of Russia, providing new opportunities for people, encouraging the economy and industry, and promoting Russia’s technological sovereignty.

I know that there are major plans to improve Moscow healthcare. I would like to stress that Moscow has all the necessary resources to act in the interests of the entire country.

Moscow must maintain and strengthen its leadership position in education; help schoolchildren and students from other regions to achieve the same results; and create conditions for scientific and engineering research, for the development of areas that are critical with regard to the country’s independence.

I know that the next five years will be a time of active promotion of the relocation programme in Moscow, and this will also mean a new, higher quality of life for people, comfortable and up-to-date housing, streets and squares.

Let me stress that the capital – and this is its special role – sets practices and standards that are always interesting and useful for all territories of Russia.

As we know, in 2014 you did a lot for people from Crimea and Sevastopol, and today the capital is helping to establish normal life in the new regions of Russia, taking patronage over Donetsk and Lugansk.

Mr Sobyanin, colleagues, I would like to sincerely thank you for this necessary and noble work.

Mr Sobyanin, colleagues,

I wish further success to you and your entire team.

Thank you, all the best. Thank you so much.