The working meeting with the Russian President Vladimir Putin

Vladimir Putin had a working meeting with Governor of Smolensk region Alexey Ostrovskiy. They discussed the socio-economic situation in the region. Also, the President accepted the request of the Governor of the Smolesk region to step down from office ahead of term.

 Vladimir Putin: So, Alexey Vladimirovich, tell me how things are going?

A. Ostrovskiy: Vladimir Vladimirovich, it has been three years recently since you entrusted me to lead Smolensk region, and there are some results. I would like to report them to you.

The three areas I would like to touch upon are the economy, social affairs and politics. I'll start with the economy because to carry out your May your orders of May 7, 2012 in full (the region has been fulfilling 100 percent of them for the three years that I have been the head of the region), the economy should be boosted in accordance with your instructions.

At the moment, just like in 2014, 20 significant investment projects are underway. The total amount of investment for the period these projects have been carried out is 40 billion Rubles. For our region it is very substantial sum of money.

First of all, we are trying to attract investment to the agriculture sector, because it is the foundation of Smolensk region economy. There has been much progress, and I am happy to tell you about it today.

These 20 socially important investment projects will give 8,000 jobs, will seriously increase the revenue part of our budget, and it allows to strictly fulfill your orders in the social sphere.

Apart from the fulfilling the orders, we are creating new places in the kindergartens. In 2014, we opened 7 new kindergartens, created 1,920 new jobs. This is a serious result, even if we are talking about the whole country. Though, there are, of course, some things to be done.

For example, if you take agriculture, we are self-sufficient in meat, eggs, but we need to catch up on potatoes, vegetables, and a little bit on milk.

If we are talking about the internal political and social situation, I can report to you that we have peace and quiet here. It seems to me that people, first of all, see the main thing, which you told me to do in my work, to be [open] with people as much as possible.

As the Head of the region, every week without exception I visit the municipalities, in fact, not only district centers, but also villages, settlements, and talk with people a lot.

People see that, as well as almost all political parties do. So in the region, instead of arranging meetings, various political forces have formed the coalition Administration, the coalition Duma, and we are working on the development of the region.

We have made progress in the industrial production. The industrial production growth increased annually, from 2012 to 2013, and then to 2014. For example, last year, the industrial production showed 103 percent of growth, the construction sector - 105.3 percent.

As for the gasification, thanks to your instructions to "Gazprom", we are very seriously advancing every year. For our region it is very important to keep people in places, to form the proper infrastructure to attract investment. We are building roads, developing industry.

There is a key, nearly the most significant company in the region. You know it. It is JSC "PC" Kristall" - our Smolensk “diamond”. You have several times given instructions, and thanks to them, the company receives raw materials. We are also helping other companies.

I believe that much has been done, but at the present time, Vladimir Vladimirovich, when you made the only possible and right decision in the interests of our state, taking into account the protection of its national interests, we have found ourselves in a difficult situation.

In this difficult situation, in case of your approval, it would be right for me to go to early elections of the governor, and I ask you to support my request to go to early elections because there is need for the maximum consolidation of power.

I really need you to confirm your trust in me. I really hope that people, as I have said, I talk to them a lot, will give me a credit for the following years to implement everything which has been planned and is already underway.

And the second reason, Vladimir Vladimirovich, is that this year more than two-thirds of the region will have the municipal elections, and in this respect it is a very serious budget saving to combine the two campaigns: the municipal and regional ones. The money that we will saved on it will be invested in the social sphere.

It [early elections] will allow me, when going to the elections, to form a team of suppoters, together with whom we will fulfill the orders that you give and work for the people as you told me three years ago. This is my main motivation in my work.

Vladimir Putin: Good. Indeed, you have the results, so I agree.

A. Ostrovskiy: Thank you.