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During the meeting, Vladimir Putin took part, via videoconference, in a ceremony for opening social facilities and industrial sites in the new constituent entities of the Russian Federation, namely, the Krasnodon maternity hospital in the Lugansk People’s Republic, intensive care hospital in Mariupol, and a branch of the Defence Ministry’s Nakhimov Naval School in the Donetsk People’s Republic, as well as a section of the Novotroitskoye-Chaplinka Motorway in the Kherson Region, and a year-round Mayak Youth Educational Centre in Berdyansk, the Zaporozhye Region.

First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Sergei Kiriyenko, deputy prime ministers Tatyana Golikova, Alexander Novak, Marat Khusnullin, and Maxim Oreshkin, Defence Minister Andrei Belousov, Minister of Industry and Trade Anton Alikhanov, Minister of Healthcare Mikhail Murashko, Minister of Construction, Housing and Utilities Irek Faizullin, Director of the Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov, Director of the Federal Service of National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation Viktor Zolotov, Head of the Donetsk People’s Republic Denis Pushilin, Head of the Lugansk People’s Republic Leonid Pasechnik, Zaporozhye Region Governor Yevgeny Balitsky, Kherson Region Governor Vladimir Saldo, Acting Minister of Internal Affairs Alexander Gorovoy, Acting Finance Minister Irina Okladnikova and Chief of the Presidential Domestic Policy Directorate Andrei Yarin attended the meeting.

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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, colleagues.

Today, we will focus on pressing socioeconomic issues in our historical territories – the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics and the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions – and their effective integration into our country’s single legal, cultural and educational space.

Importantly, it is critically important for the Donbass and Novorossiya residents to have dignified living and working conditions already now, so that that the people can see bright prospects for themselves and their children meaning that, as we are addressing the priority security task which is, of course, the top priority, we need to speed up housing repairs and to build modern residential housing and social and transport facilities. The first thing we do when I meet with the leaders of the republics is we focus on these matters. We need to create proper conditions for the dynamic development of the manufacturing industry, agriculture, small and medium-sized businesses, and the economy as a whole.

As a reminder, we have set ourselves an integral goal where the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics, the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions should reach the all-Russian level in key areas that determine the quality of life. For this purpose, a special comprehensive programme for socioeconomic development of the four regions is being implemented. In 2023, over 1.26 trillion rubles were allocated towards this end from all sources. We have fairly large figures planned for 2025 and 2030.

In addition to federal agencies, this work involves 26 state-owned companies and 82 constituent entities of the Federation, which have assumed patronage over specific districts and communities.

In fact, the entire country, millions of people, volunteer and other public organisations are supporting Donbass and Novorossiya and helping them unlock their vast potential for creative work and growth, and establish a peaceful and prosperous life on a land that has been an integral part of Russia for centuries and has now reunited with the Motherland.

Residential buildings, hospitals, schools, and utility lines are being restored or built anew at a fast pace. In other words, the measures promptly taken by the Government are paying off. I am referring primarily to the timely and unfaltering financing, including from the federal budget, of course. I would like to make special mention of the hard work put in by builders and other specialists. I sincerely thank you all for your dedicated work.

Since 2022, the planned goals and more have been achieved at over 19,000 different sites. Federal customers have completed work at 11,262 sites, including the construction of 62 new blocks of flats, and the reconstruction of 2,140 blocks of flats, as well as 321 education, healthcare, culture, and sports facilities, to name a few.

I mentioned housing earlier, now I will focus on the roads. More than 3,000 kilometres of roads have been overhauled. More than 500 bank branches and offices have opened for business, which is critically important both for bank customers and the economy in general.

A set of diverse tools ranging from low-cost lending programmes to the free economic zone regime has been created in order to support businesses.

In general, each of the four regions has made strides in the main socioeconomic spheres and areas. The most sensitive issues are being addressed and, I hope, changes for the better are taking place which, I also hope, people are seeing, sensing and taking note of.

It is important not to lose momentum, to move forward consistently, stage by stage, and to ensure close coordination between federal, regional and local levels of government and civil society structures, as well as to try to strictly comply with the deadlines in order to achieve all the goals.

Please note that it is important to maximise the use of each region’s own resources and to involve as much land and property as possible in economic turnover based on transparent and clear rules. Importantly, lease proceeds should be used to replenish regional and local budgets.

Without a doubt, it is imperative to fully integrate the efforts to restore and develop the regions of Donbass and Novorossiya into the system of updated national projects and to do so this year already. If need be, we should provide them with expedited access to various support tools.

Let us discuss how this work is progressing, and what we should focus on, or where we should provide extra help. We will listen to what our colleagues have to say during live broadcasts from several new sites which will be commissioned today.

Mr Khusnullin, I understand that you called me regarding these issues specifically. Please go ahead.

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