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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: (Addressing Dmitry Medvedev.) Mr Medvedev,

Colleagues, friends,

My greetings to all the participants, guests and delegates of the 22^nd United Russia congress.

I would like to start with thanking you, all party members, your, our numerous supporters in all the regions for the hard work in the interests of our country’s citizens, for a substantive and meaningful contribution to ensuring security and sovereignty.

The United Russia party has been supporting our troops literally from the first day of the special military operation: it submits important draft laws to create legal and social guarantees for our heroes and their families; assists the recovery of the liberated regions; collects and delivers everything the civilians there need. The party also does much for the veterans who are back from the combat areas, helps them realise themselves in civilian professions, in public and political life.

I want to stress that all parliamentary parties in the country, all of them, are united in their support for everything that is aimed at protecting the people in Donbas and Novorossiya and ensuring firm guarantees for the security of the Fatherland for decades to come.

The United Russia party, as a true leader, is being active where the fate of the country is being decided, together with our Army and Navy, with the teams of defence industry enterprises that work round the clock, with millions of people, who support the front-line soldiers with all their hearts, with volunteers who form all the essentials, deliver thousands of tonnes of humanitarian aid, food, medicines, household appliances, gear and equipment, and bring our victory closer by concrete deeds and personal involvement in volunteer initiatives.

I note once again that many State Duma deputies from the United Russia party, regional and municipal leaders of various levels went to the front to fight for their homeland. This is a courageous and brave step worthy of every respect. Thank you.

I would like to add that today all regions and municipalities of the country provide comprehensive assistance to sponsored towns and districts in the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics, in the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, to the residents of the Kursk Region and other frontline and border regions of the Federation.

Such mutual support, genuine brotherhood in the face of adversity, and unity in the name of the Fatherland have emerged historically. This is the character of our people. The seemingly very simple word ‘we’ now gets a special, unifying meaning.

“We do not abandon our people” – this principle, a noble call is clear and close to each of us. Because unity, perception of Russia as our home, as a huge family of families, is our great value. It is our tremendous enduring strength, our confidence in today and tomorrow.

I want to say thank you to all those who contribute to the protection of Russia’s national interests both on the frontlines and on the homefront. And I ask the party to continue its active work, to step up efforts in all key areas, especially in supporting all veterans of combat operations, their relatives, particularly families who have lost their loved ones. Closer attention should be paid to those who have returned home after serious injuries.

Courage, bravery, managerial talent, leadership skills of our frontline servicemen tested and hardened in the most difficult conditions, their sincere devotion to the Fatherland and our people, should be extremely helpful in addressing national tasks.

In my Address to the Federal Assembly and at the previous United Russia congress I spoke, among other things, about the importance of education and training of strong, reliable and high potential personnel. I will repeat it today: it is not just a priority for the party – its future depends on it.

We need to support talented, motivated people, become a centre of attraction for them, to involve them more widely in the party’s training and mentoring projects, so that our fellows in arms, heroes could be themselves an example for the younger generation, help others to fulfil themselves and bring up worthy successors.

I ask to pay special, extra attention to the Time of Heroes personnel programme, which was launched this year, and not only to engaging its graduates in our common work but, no less importantly, to the very practice of wide, open, transparent competitive selection for the participation in the programme. And if we look through a broader lens – to creating all conditions for the promotion of our contemporaries who have proved themselves both at the front and in the rear, young people, to leading responsible positions in state and municipal bodies, in the economy and social sphere, in the public domain and in the party work.

As for the Time of Heroes programme, we have deliberately avoided unnecessary formal restrictions: anyone who has distinguished themselves during the special military operation – both commanders and privates – can apply. There are tens of thousands of them who wish to do so, you are aware of that.

Currently, the second programme stream is being formed, the training of the first is still in progress. However, its participants already receive offers and are being entrusted with high positions and big tasks in civilian life even before they receive their diplomas. The demand for hardy, strong-willed people who have passed through severe ordeals and are ready to take on responsibility is extremely high, and the country is also in need of this.

It is not by chance that more than three hundred of our comrades-in-arms – veterans of the special military operation – have already received the support of voters in various elections across the country this year. People trust such candidates, count on their integrity, honesty and professionalism.

And it was United Russia that nominated the absolute majority of such candidates – it was certainly the right and responsible thing to do, responding, first and foremost, to the public’s demand. And the essence of this demand is to increase the requirements for the quality and performance of all levels of government, so that municipalities, regional teams, and federal structures are staffed with people whose number one priority is a sense of duty and service to society and the country.

The men who returned from the frontline have proved their worth in combat. I am sure that they will not let us down in the future, they will fight for the result and achieve it. But, of course, I would like to address them as well: in order to work at such a level, they need to have appropriate competences, they need to move and develop themselves, and not to stand still.

In this regard I offer and think it necessary to expand the Time of Heroes national project: to launch similar programmes in the regions – as it has already been done in the Stavropol Territory, Belgorod, Voronezh, Ryazan, Samara, Tula regions and the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area. I ask the party to get actively involved in this work. I am counting on you very much that it will not be formal: we need to work, search for people, and help them organise their training.

Recently I met with young people who are undergoing rehabilitation after serious injuries. One of them is already eager to take part in the Time of Heroes programme, but the other one says that he understands he is not ready yet. He says, “I understand that we need people who have certain experience in public, state, municipal work. I don't have it. I don't have any education either.” He, a handsome young man, said this honestly. “But I want to.” Look for people like him. Find them, help them get an education, help them get relevant experience.

Friends,

The agenda of the congress is packed, as always. Current challenges and tasks of our leading party are being discussed. However, the key will be an analysis of how the voters’ mandates and requests have been fulfilled.

We have to introduce serious substantive changes to the party’s programme – the people’s programme and supplement it with new specific commitments assumed by United Russia. It amounts, in fact, to endorsing its own roadmap for implementing our large-scale plans for the coming six years. This is the minimum, whereas the strategic timeline must apparently be much longer.

The time of challenges also opens up new opportunities and possibilities for us, which we will pursue together. I am confident that we will be able to do it not only in the future, but also right now, as we achieve solid, evident results. Russia is progressing, the economy is growing, which is done against the backdrop of unparalleled – in the full and direct meaning of the world – sanctions, gross interference and pressure from the ruling elites of some countries.

However, no blackmailing or attempts to stand in our way will yield any result. Russia has confidence in itself, it feels it is right and feels its power. Therefore, all the short- and long-term tasks we have set will definitely be completed.

I count on your unconditional leadership in implementing the new national projects. We discussed them in detail just recently, on December 5, at the Strategic Development Council meeting. I am confident that you, your colleagues, party organisations in the regions, and the entire United Russia party will begin this hard work from the first days of the coming year.

I would like to point out one more thing. National projects ready to be launched, a balanced federal budget – all of this is, of course, very important and significant. I would like to thank you all for this joint outcome, for the joint work with the participation of the parliament, the Government, the Presidential Executive Office, colleagues from the regions and other political parties. I know that the dialogue was not easy, we had to look for many solutions and answers, to prove our position.

But there is something even more important. Our clear, ambitious, step-by-step programme for the country’s development is backed by strong and truly popular support. I repeat: such solidarity, unity of people, faith in the country and in our victory are worth a lot. They are born out of a common understanding of our fundamental, sovereign interests, the desire to ensure the security of our homeland, to protect our sacred historical memory, spirituality, traditions, those common values that the Rossiya National Centre, where we are now, where the congress is taking place, is called upon to preserve and promote.

The very name of the party shows the essence of our course, the image of the country that we are building, want to preserve and pass on to our descendants, the awareness that we are a unique, distinctive civilisation, a multinational and multi-faith nation which, for all its internal diversity, has been and will be united. This is a crucial thing.

Our opponents have tried to undermine this unity throughout all history, and now they are again following a scenario that has been tested out on others, trying to divide people, play the national or religious card.

We will firmly suppress such provocations, we will respond to any threats and challenges, and we are ready to fight back, as they say, along the entire front. And it is not only along the line of combat contact. The truly global, decisive confrontation affects all aspects of our lives: culture, education, worldview, the economy and the technological sphere.

United Russia must be at the forefront of this fair struggle, using all its expert resources, political experience, authority and the best personnel to the advantage of the people and the entire nation.

It is the patriotic backbone, the ideology of responsibility, that has always distinguished United Russia, a party which from its very inception has not drifted from side to side, to the right or to the left, has not sought cheap popularity, but has been strict, balanced and careful in both its words and its decisions. No matter how heated the debates were, it always respected its opponents, thus cutting off destructive radicalism, any external pressure, and setting a constructive nature of the political and legislative process.

This is the manifestation of the party’s maturity, its essential advantage. It should not be wasted; it should not be frittered away. On the contrary, it should be cherished, strengthened and constantly built up.

The people expect the new commitments and – let me stress – all previous promises, plans, the people's programme which United Russia announced as it joined the 2021 election campaign, to be fully implemented. And some of them to be implemented even to a greater extent, where we see that the pace of joint work and our capabilities make it possible for us to do so, and we, of course, will have to do this – and most importantly, if it meets the growing demands of the people. I repeat: in this case, we must set new large-scale tasks and objectives without delay.

I will give you a specific example. Let me remind you that by 2026, over 7,300 school buildings are to be overhauled. But we are already planning that this programme will be extended and significantly expanded. Namely: by 2031, major repairs should be completed in all schools where they are needed, which is more than 11,000 buildings. And we must certainly do it.

I should note that not only the renovation of school infrastructure, but also many other major projects, such as social gas distribution, improvement of public spaces, and upgrading of post offices, are being implemented with the active participation of United Russia. The party was their author and inspirer, including, incidentally, the first national projects. Let me remind you that in 2005 we started out with four such projects. Now there will be 20 of them.

And it is not the number of projects that matters, of course, but the fact that the country has changed in terms of quality over this time: the resources of the state, society, and business have increased by an order of magnitude, and our development agenda has become truly comprehensive, systemic, and strategic, looking into the future, and for decades to come. We have such an opportunity, and, of course, we need to proceed from it.

The momentum we gained makes it possible for us to move head-on in all key areas on which Russia’s sovereignty and competitiveness depend, to achieve our national goals, and to improve the quality of life in all regions of the country. It is the man, the well-being and prosperity of Russian families that are in the focus of our plans.

It means that literally each step should be coordinated with the people’s opinion, with what they think of the laws to be adopted, of the managerial decisions, how they assess the effectiveness of the existing and new social support measures, the speed and quality of work on literally every project – be it a kindergarten or a university campus, a sports ground in the yard or a motorway, an apartment building or a cultural monument.

On a national scale, these are just separate figures in summaries and reports, but for an individual, a specific individual, this is the quality of their life, an indicator of both changes for the better and the capacity of the authorities to act.

The party’s standing and status of the majority party places higher demands on all its representatives, especially on the people’s deputies. Having authority – as they say, in narrow circles – is not enough for being competent in a particular field. Direct communication with people, the ability to unite and lead like-minded individuals should be a prerequisite for one’s professional worth.

I suggest making this one the main criteria for personal [effectiveness] of party activists, especially when deciding whether to renominate them to representative bodies at any level.

In general, the United Russia party is not only capable and able, it should build all its activities in dialogue with people, rely on all of our supporters, the Young Guard [of United Russia], work closely with our partners from the Popular Front, the Everything for Victory! and Defenders of the Fatherland foundations, social NGOs and the volunteer movement, and all public institutions that are acquiring a new quality today.

I ask you to think about how we can use more effectively a broad network of the party’s grassroot branches. Being constantly in contact with people, getting their feedback is their area of responsibility. It allows us to see the real dynamics of changes in the context of a particular town or village and not to fob off – excuse my language – not to send people’s requests, problems and wishes down the bureaucratic ladder.

We need to do it ourselves – as much as possible, from every level onward, but we need to try, as we say, to do our best. If necessary, we should propose system-wide, well-thought-out solutions, go to a higher level, and fight for it. We must fight for it.

I was just saying that we have new opportunities emerging. It is true: opportunities are appearing because the country is developing and a lot has been done. Now, you know, there are preparations for the big [news] conference, and for the Direct Line. I have looked through the questions that are coming in. I think it's no secret to you: a lot has been done, of course, but there are still a lot of problems, as we say, enough and some to spare. Do you understand? We have no moral right to rest on our laurels. We need to work hard.

I have already said that at the federal level, the achievement of national development goals will be assessed not in tonnes or kilometres, but primarily through a system of sociological parameters. But I would like to stress once again: nothing, no generalised statistics can replace personal contact, direct and honest conversation with people. It is necessary for both the state and the party itself, it is the basis and guarantee of trust on the part of tens of millions of Russians.

Colleagues,

United Russia has many achievements and truly major projects of its own that have already been implemented. Undoubtedly, the contribution of all constructive political forces and various parliamentary parties is significant for the development of the country and society and for joint, consolidated work. Behind them are also the voices of millions of our people. But today, at a new, difficult historical stage, it is United Russia that bears a special responsibility and burden.

I believe that our largest, system-forming party will do its utmost to further strengthen the state, our sovereignty, constitutional order and social harmony, will take the most active and effective part in the large-scale, creative efforts to develop the country, our homeland, a united and strong Russia.

I wish you all the best. Thank you.