Agenda: President’s assignments to the Government following the SPIEF 2025, financing university campuses construction in the regions, action plan on Strategy for Youth Policy implementation.
Mikhail Mishustin’s opening remarks:
Good afternoon, colleagues.
The St Petersburg International Economic Forum was held last week. At its plenary meeting the President set a number of tasks to the Government. Their solution is necessary for the economy transition to a trajectory of balanced growth, to a new level of technological development and for improving the wellbeing of our citizens.
Above all, we are to change the nature and structure of employment, raise the quality of jobs and labour productivity.
Another area is the development of creative industries. The President instructed the Government to prepare jointly with the regions a long-term strategy in that area. Tomorrow we will hold a special strategic session on this subject where we will discuss everything in detail.
The President touched on increasing the tourist attractiveness of Russian cities and towns as a separate issue. We are to unite the resources of two preferential lending programmes: for building tourist infrastructure and for conserving cultural heritage sites. And apply the SME Corporation’s umbrella guarantees mechanism for restoration and major repairs of ancient buildings. This will facilitate attraction of financing to preserve many historical and cultural monuments. They are of special importance for local residents and guests of the regions.
New projects implementation requires investments. So, it is important to continue improving the business climate. The President spoke about it at the forum too. We should finalise the national model of target conditions by September, so that Russia could be among 20 world leaders in terms of conditions for doing business as early as by 2030.
One of the key tasks now is to ensure technological leadership and with due account of the changes that are taking place in other countries. We will draft annual reports about it for the President on his instruction and present there the current level of our technological sovereignty and the results of adopting breakthrough decisions.
To this end it is important to strengthen the link between science and practice. We often speak about it. The programme University of Entrepreneurs is already underway; experienced business people together with the students are making advanced products there. And on the President’s instruction we also need to elaborate the question of scaling that mechanism .
We have to promptly draw up proposals on coordinating and interlinking the information and other tools to support business progress, including the financial capabilities and guarantees of the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Corporation, as well as prepare large bodies of data on the condition of the markets. These are available to marketplaces, among others. I will ask Mr Grigorenko to speed up the drafting of the bill on their development as much as possible so as to enable the Government to consider it at its meeting in the near future.
We will continue to boost non-oil-and-gas exports. We will continue to remove barriers, open market niches, improve infrastructure, and promote investment cooperation.
Jointly with our EAEU partners, we will have to balance both the customs and tariff policies in such a way as to incentivise the emergence of new production chains and ensure the transfer of advanced technologies to our country. Proposals on concrete moves in this regard must be rapidly prepared.
The President has instructed us to digitalise indicators of structural changes in the economy of Russia and place them under our special control. The most important thing in this regard, colleagues, is that we should make these changes enhance the living standards. We will continue to create a network of university campuses, which we are also doing at the President’s instructions.
He noted that these institutions should become an intellectual resource for achieving objectives facing our territories and make a tangible contribution to national development.
Today, we will allocate over 33 billion roubles from the current three-year budget to build three campuses in the Perm Territory, the Novgorod Region, and the Tyumen Region. Earlier, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education approved these regions’ applications that had won the tenders.
It will be recalled that 25 spaces of this kind should be commissioned by 2030. These are primarily intended to implement important educational and scientific projects and enhance the interconnection between education, science, and the economy, with account taken of the specific features of the regions, where these campuses are located.
Mr Chernyshenko, this project is quite extensive and highly important. Please keep the quality of implementing the planned events, the efficiency of spending the federal budget funds, and observance of the established timeframes under your personal supervision.
Let us consider another topic.
We will celebrate Youth Day next Saturday. The President stressed that the “younger generations must grow up to be strong, broadly educated, open to creation, globally competitive in knowledge and competencies, and willing to offer their original ideas and solutions rather than imitate others.”
In Russia, almost one-quarter of the population are individuals aged from 14 to 35 years. The Government is creating conditions for their all-round development. We have drawn up a plan of measures to put into practice the Strategy for the Implementation of Youth Policy which is aimed at achieving this objective. Within its framework, we will continue to create opportunities for young men and women in all regions of this country to tap into their potential, display talent, participate actively in socially significant projects, and try their hand at volunteering.
We will continue to practice mentoring on a wider scale and invite veterans of the special military operation, among others, to take part in this endeavor.
We will pay special attention to young families in order for them to get assistance with housing problems and combine the upbringing of children with studies, work, and chances to pursue a career.
Yet another important focal point is inuring current generations to healthy lifestyles, sports and physical fitness. We will introduce new tourism routes for those wishing to better know their country and its history and culture.
Young people should be given assistance in choosing a profession and gaining additional skills needed for work and finding further employment.
Importantly, all events envisaged by the Strategy should be timely implemented.
Profiting by this occasion, I would like to congratulate our young people on this festive date.
