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Vladimir Putin suggested starting the meeting with the spring floods as the most urgent agenda item, since they damaged many children’s vacation camps. In his report, Denis Pasler said that 5,500 kids are expected to spend their summer vacations at the seaside. The region has already sent two trains there and the children have already reached their destination. He went on to say that rebuilding the damaged summer camps in the region is a major priority: they were all built along Ural River, and of the 46 camps the region has there, 24 have been damaged and must be restored. The regional government has already selected new sites outside of the flooding area, but needs the President’s assistance to move forward on this initiative.

Turning to the flood relief effort, Denis Pasler thanked the President for his responsiveness in the most challenging moments. The Governor went on to report on the efforts the region had to undertake in this regard. Water levels are declining, with repairs now underway and people waiting to receive compensation. Vladimir Putin asked the Governor to call him should any additional issues arise in this regard.

Denis Pasler offered a detailed review of the regional economy, focusing on its performance over the past five years. The Orenburg Region became a donor region, making a significant contribution to the national economy as the country’s ninth largest contributor to the federal budget. In 2021, the region established a special economic zone which operates as a priority development area. There are 90 major projects underway worth almost half a trillion rubles. Investment has been on the rise too, as well as upward momentum in manufacturing and housing construction. The number of self-employed people has also increased.

As regards the agricultural sector, 40 percent of the region’s population lives in rural areas. Over the past five years, the region expanded its arable land by 413,000 hectares to over 6 million hectares. The Orenburg Region is the country’s largest producer of durum wheat varieties. Fertiliser production increased five-fold, and there has been a several-fold improvement in the effort to upgrade the agricultural fleet.

According to the Governor, upgrading checkpoints along the border with Kazakhstan is a major priority. In the five past years, there has been a three-fold increase in their throughput capacity, and the project to build a new airport with a new terminal is underway; it is expected to be completed next year. Unemployment has reached a historical low, while the number of families with many children has increased by 10 percent over the past four and a half years, with almost 30,000 such families living in the region. Poverty declined by 2.8 percent, while social spending went up by 78%.

Denis Pasler also talked about restoring cultural heritage sights, including the mansion where Russian writer Sergei Aksakov (1791–1859) lived, as well as the project to create a museum in Russia celebrating Mstislav Rostropovich (1927–2007). The Governor also said that Hermitage Museum is expected to open its satellite museum in a unique building in Orenburg. It will have the world’s one and only jasper room, with all its decorations made from local jasper. Denis Pasler mentioned that the Orenburg Region is preparing to mark its 90^th anniversary this year, while the Orenburg Governorate will mark its 280^th anniversary, and invited Vladimir Putin to visit the region to mark these occasions. The President thanked the Governor for this invitation.

In conclusion, Denis Pasler said he is about to complete his five-year term as Governor, adding that he is ready to take part in the election and continue his work with the President’s support and, of course, with the support of the people in the Orenburg Region.

Vladimir Putin said that Denis Pasler achieved a lot over the past years and seems to be committed to carrying on with his efforts just as proactively. The Governor has a clear vision of what needs to be done and prioritises living standards, the quality of life, and building an even more sustainable economy. The President wished Denis Pasler every success in his undertakings, and emphasised that everything will depend on the voters in the Orenburg Region.