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President Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, colleagues,

As you know, more accurate data about the results of our work last year and for the past few years in general are currently being finalised. One can say with satisfaction it is becoming increasingly obvious that the goals that we set ourselves – one being the doubling of GDP in ten years – are attainable.

I would like to draw your attention to this and say that we cannot allow rates to slow down. In spite of all the difficulties, they still need to be developed. This concerns economic growth rates, other macroeconomic indices and inflation. We are consistently lowering the latter. This year, we are setting ourselves the task of attaining the level of ten percent. This is also asking a lot, but, bearing in mind the positive trends that we have managed to secure with regard to this parameter in the past few years, this is an objective, real index and it has to be achieved.

The same applies to securing labour productivity growth rates. Last year, despite the gap between labour productivity and household income growth rates, for the first time productivity lagged behind. Nevertheless, for the first time, incomes were guaranteed by increased labour productivity. This is a positive sign for our economy, and we need to ensure that it is maintained.

Of course, all this is being done with one aim in mind: to solve the population’s social problems. I know that the Government is considering the medical insurance issue this week. This and other similar matters should constantly stay in the focus of our attention this year.

You know that an official visit to Kazakhstan took place. Many important documents were signed, but it is not important how many documents were signed. What is important is the level and nature of our relations with Kazakhstan that have taken shape over the last few years. And I would like to thank all my colleagues who are taking part in this process. We not only agreed to extend the lease for the Baikonur space centre until 2050, which is extremely important. We also agreed to co-operate in the space exploration sphere in the broadest sense of this term. We reached agreement concerning our interaction on an entire series of other areas in the economy, the social sphere, border issues and the fight against crime.

We agreed to co-operate more closely in the energy sphere. We are expanding our extraction, and our partners, including Kazakhstan, are doing the same. Kazakhstan has serious plans in this area, and I think that you will agree with me: we, bearing in mind the strategic nature of our relations, must think about how to guarantee the lawful interests of our partners, including in the transportation of their energy carriers. We shall speak about this separately at a later date.

This is all I would like to say at the moment. Let’s exchange up-to-date information.