The agenda: The list of specialities eligible for the Presidential scholarship, budget allocations for preferential lending to agricultural producers, and support for residents of the Free Economic Zone in Crimea and the new regions.
Mikhail Mishustin’s opening remarks:
Government meeting
Colleagues,
Before we get down to today’s Government meeting agenda, I would like to highlight one important decision that will complete the formation of the regulatory framework necessary for the appointment and payment of the Presidential scholarship.
During his meeting with university students in the Kaliningrad Region, the head of state instructed that the scholarship be increased to 30,000 roubles.
Today, the Government has approved a list of more than 300 specialities and training programmes that align with the priorities of Russia’s scientific and technological development. There was a heated discussion on this matter. These primarily include mathematics, natural sciences, humanities, engineering and technology, defence and security, medicine, agriculture, education, and pedagogics.
Undergraduate and graduate students who excel academically, conduct research, or are engaged in scientific, design, or innovative development at their institutions, or who have won prizes at international or national Olympiads will be eligible to receive the scholarship starting from their third year of study. In other words, these are young people striving to become active participants in the major technological transformations now underway in our country. During the meeting, the President emphasised that knowledge is a key factor in economic growth and in strengthening the nation’s defence capability.
The scholarship will be awarded for one year, with approximately 3,400 undergraduate and graduate students eligible to receive it.
I would like to ask the Ministry of Science and Higher Education to complete all necessary competitive procedures as quickly as possible to identify candidates and begin disbursement.
Now, let us turn to the agenda: the development of the agro-industrial complex remains one of our top priorities.
The head of state has stressed the need to enhance the efficiency of the sector and make it even more technologically advanced.
One of the most important instruments for achieving this goal is preferential lending to agricultural producers. This mechanism allows them to take out short-term loans, both for seasonal fieldwork and long-term loans for major investment projects.
Today, we will allocate over 34 billion roubles for these purposes. These funds will subsidise at least 39,000 loans issued to support agricultural production and processing, as well as the manufacture of veterinary medicines, enzymes, feed, and food additives.
We expect that these measures will help farmers continue their work successfully ensuring food security for the country and providing citizens with a wide selection of healthy and high-quality products.
Today’s agenda includes an entire range of issues regarding support for Russian regions.
The President has noted that it is necessary to maintain the current rapid development rates of Crimea and Sevastopol, including with the help of current tools. Among them is the free economic zone that has been functioning on this territory for the last ten years. Its aim is to make the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol more popular and attractive as a site for long-term business projects, to improve the business climate, to attract more capitals, to create jobs and to modernise the infrastructure.
Today, we will discuss the allocation of more than one billion roubles that will be disbursed as low-interest loans for residents of the economic zone.
The funding will allow them to repay low interest on previously issued loans, worth almost seven billion roubles. Consequently, they will be able to implement high-priority regional projects in accordance with earlier terms.
The President emphasised that the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics, the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions should attain nationwide levels in terms of all key indicators and standards of living.
Active and systematic work is underway in this context. Just like in Crimea, a free economic zone has been established in these territories that allows companies to pay reduced tax rates and insurance premiums, and they are exempt from customs duties.
These preferences have proved effective and remain in high demand; they have also helped considerably expand production of high-tech goods, including mining and ore-processing equipment, as well as household appliances.
In an effort to speed up development, the Government has drafted a bill for expanding the use of these important industrial products. It will stipulate more lax bidding terms at tenders for selling and purchasing these products, including tenders for the needs of state organisations and major companies. Producers in the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics, the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions will find it easier to use low-interest loans from the Industrial Development Fund and other support.
Legislative amendments are to enter into force from 1 January 2026. This will help expand the industrial potential of the new territories of the Russian Federation, and this will facilitate their integration into the overall industrial and technological infrastructure of our country. This will also generate positive synergy for dozens of affiliated enterprises in other regions.
