The meeting took place as part of preparations for the Government’s annual report to the State Duma
Mikhail Mishustin meets with deputies of the State Duma’s United Russia parliamentary party
Mikhail Mishustin meets with deputies of the State Duma’s United Russia parliamentary party
Mikhail Mishustin meets with deputies of the State Duma’s United Russia parliamentary party
Mikhail Mishustin’s opening remarks:
Mr Vasilyev, colleagues,
I am delighted to welcome all of you at the Government House.
Next week, the Government of the Russian Federation will submit its traditional report to the State Duma. According to an established tradition, we are meeting with all parliamentary parties. Under this tradition, we are also completing these consultations by meeting with United Russia representatives.
This format is highly important for effective collaboration between the lower house of parliament and the Cabinet of Ministers. During our conversations, we thoroughly discuss high-priority issues of concern to our citizens and requiring a search for well-balanced solutions. Additionally, we have streamlined the practice of successful cooperation at meetings of dedicated committees of the State Duma involving the heads of all federal ministries and agencies.
And, of course, the Government considers the position of the parliamentary majority party as particularly significant. Working together, we have created a system of effective collaboration, and this makes it possible to methodically accomplish all the tasks and instructions set by the President of the Russian Federation. He has noted that he is counting on your unconditional leadership in implementing new national projects. And United Russia confirms this.
While drafting the federal budget for 2025 and the next two years, the parliamentary party consistently upheld a large package of initiatives aiming to improve the living standards of the population and to ensure economic growth. The party’s programme stipulates many of these measures. All amendments were formulated in the context of feedback with the people and prioritised the requirements of Russian regions.
United Russia’s amendments stipulated funding to assist young people, families with children, participants in the special military operation, as well as to expand regional road networks, the industry and agriculture and to implement science and technology projects.
All these proposals were well-substantiated and well-thought-out. The country’s main financial document allocates over 160 billion roubles for these purposes. We know that we can count on your responsible position while discussing other issues, too.
I would like to single out the initiatives of your deputies while fulfilling the President’s instructions following his Address to the Federal Assembly. The Government Executive Office, ministries and agencies monitor their implementation all the time.
United Russia is actively involved in this activity. A federal law on adjusting for inflation the insurance pensions of working retired persons was approved in the shortest possible time. These pensions were increased by 9.5 percent since 1 January, 2025.
I would also like to thank you for the parliamentary party’s proposals to support families with children. Some legal motions are still in the making, but over 50 of them have already been signed into law.
Together with other parliamentary parties, United Russia ensured the adoption of regulations aimed at protecting the health of young people.
The Government supported your proposal to ban the sale of non-alcoholic energy drinks, commonly known as energy drinks, to minors starting 1 March, 2025. Moreover, the regions have received the right to determine where and how to restrict such trade.
It is also now prohibited to sell potentially dangerous household goods that contain gas to children, such as lighters and refill cans, among other similar products.
The Government has also approved another parliamentary initiative, which introduces criminal liability for the repeated sale of tobacco or other nicotine-containing products to minors.
In the Year of the Family, which was last year, United Russia deputies did a lot to help parents with children.
In 2025, which the President declared the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland, your parliamentary party is actively making new initiatives to support the participants in the special military operation and their families. There are already as many as two dozen of them in the State Duma portfolio for the current spring session.
I am confident they will be thoroughly worked out and adopted promptly, just like the earlier submitted draft laws. Many of these proposals are developed together with senators, thus also considering the experience accumulated in the regions.
The procedure for receiving two pensions – an insurance pension and survivors’ pension – by widows of military personnel who raise children until they turn 23 was finalised, with the active assistance of the Government, and has already become effective. These families are receiving additional assistance.
The Government also supported another draft law developed with your involvement. Now deceased soldiers’ children with disabilities will also receive a double pension.
Military personnel who have children with health restrictions received the right to priority provision with housing.
An application-free procedure for veterans of the special military operation to receive monthly payments was also introduced.
It is very important that all support measures are implemented accurately and quickly, so that our defenders do not waste time on formalising the benefits they are entitled to. Such a proactive regime should exist. We expect that United Russia, represented at all levels of legislative authority, will exercise parliamentary control over how these decisions are implemented.
Especially since many topics that the parliamentary party later works on at the legislative level are based on their good knowledge of what concerns people in the regions.
As was the case with the law initiated by you and supported by the Government on increasing liability for substandard provision of utility services. Employees of housing and utility services organisations will be fined for poor operation.
Migration policy also remains in the focus. The Government has supported a draft law developed by United Russia deputies together with their colleagues from other parliamentary parties on increasing liability for sham registration of foreign citizens and for forgery and trade in faked documents.
Websites that offer respective services to illegal migrants can now be blocked extrajudicially.
Colleagues, we have many other examples of successful work. Moreover, the President noted that United Russia is a party that does not seek cheap popularity, but is strict, balanced, and careful when it comes to its promises and decisions.
We consider you a reliable partner of the Government on the widest range of issues.
