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President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev: Georgy Valentinovich!

The last few times I visited you we talked practically only about the programme 15 Plus 15 concerning housing for military personnel. You had quite good results a year ago. I would like to know what has been done at present and what is planned for the future.

Governor of Kaliningrad Georgy Boos: Dmitry Anatolyevich, you are absolutely right to point out that the general problems facing servicepersons have received considerable attention in recent years. We are currently building a large water park with a swimming pool in Baltiysk, where the headquarters of the navy's Baltic Fleet are located. A lot of housing is being built and we have designated large amounts of land and outfitted them with infrastructure for the construction of a modern military village that would act as service military housing within the framework of the new programme. According to the programme 15 Plus 15 we were instructed to build fifteen hundred apartments. We have built them all. <…>

Dmitry Medvedev: As far as I understand they were built the same way as the living facilities we visited together. This is modern decent quality housing. It has a normal layout and is fully finished.

Georgy Boos: Yes. And people are very happy and are waiting for more because this has already helped significantly to defuse the situation.

Dmitry Medvedev: How much housing do you still need to build for the military?

Georgy Boos: In principle, the situation is such that every year the Baltic Fleet is replenished with young officers.

Dmitry Medvedev: This is a good thing.

Georgy Boos: Yes, and in this regard every year we must build about as much as we are building now to allow the situation to develop normally.

Dmitry Medvedev: How much housing should be built each year, so that we have a benchmark?

Georgy Boos: About a thousand.

Dmitry Medvedev: Around a thousand housing units annually?

Georgy Boos: Yes.

Dmitry Medvedev: Over how many years?

Georgy Boos: Approximately the next 5 to 7 years. We will then reach a normal situation.

Dmitry Medvedev: In other words, to resolve all the problems in Kaliningrad, in the region, it takes about 5 thousand apartments.

Georgy Boos: Around 7 thousand.

Dmitry Medvedev: We are sure this programme will continue. I recently spoke with Minister of Defence about this subject, because all the tasks that were set both relating to permanent housing and office accommodation have not been removed. They will be implemented at the pace that was planned. Indeed, I think that today there are additional financial opportunities in the Ministry of Defence. I am not yet ready to cite the figures – we will see at the end of the year – but I hope that they will be even better than planned. This will provide a foundation for further work at the same pace.

With regards to specific instructions, I will give them on the facilities that you have already created.

Good. In general, how is the situation?

Georgy Boos: In general, I can simply name you a figure and you'll understand everything for yourself. The Gross Regional Product (GRP) in 2005 was 81 billion and this year we expect the GRP to be around 182 to 184 billion, somewhere in that range. That is an increase of more than a 100 billion. It has more than doubled; true, not at current prices but the growth is nevertheless comparable.

Dmitry Medvedev: Even with comparable prices that is very respectable growth.

Georgy Boos: Of course, for such a short period of time it is quite considerable. So of course this translates into a significant improvement in the socio-economic environment and people feel this.

Dmitry Medvedev: Current conditions are not the simplest ones because of the financial problems that have emerged in the world. I think that you need to pay more attention to the development of the social sphere and avoid seeing these indicators deteriorate simply because we are obliged to follow a plan that we have already laid out some time ago.

Georgy Boos: We will do everything necessary. We will not miss this chance.

Dmitry Medvedev: Agreed.

Georgy Boos: Thank you.