Major world tournaments that Russia will host in the coming years, as well as the final of the Night Hockey League, were discussed on Monday in Sochi by Vladimir Putin and the head of the International Ice Hockey Federation Rene Fasel.
We also remembered the recent victory of Avangard Omsk in the Gagarin Cup.
The conversation turned out to be very informal and confidential. Note that Putin and Fasel communicated without an interpreter.
Vladimir Putin believes that the situation with the spread of coronavirus in Russia remains stable, he told reporters on Monday. He called for continuing active vaccination and testing of the population for coronavirus.
The Military Parade marking the 76th anniversary of the Victory in the 1941–1945 Great Patriotic War took place on Moscow Red Square on Sunday.
Thirty-seven infantry units took part in the parade on Red Square: officers, sergeants and soldiers of military formations and units, students and cadets of military academies, Suvorov and Nakhimov schools and cadet corps, Young Army members, as well as units of the Emergencies Ministry, National Guard Troops and the Border Troops of the Russian Federal Security Service. Servicewomen were represented by parade units from the Military University, Military Academy of the Signal Corps, a branch of the Military Logistics Academy, the Military-Space Academy, and the Air and Space Defence Academy. Overall, almost 12,000 personnel were engaged.
Over 190 units of military hardware were on show, including the legendary T-34 tanks of the Great Patriotic War and the cutting-edge T-90M Proryv and T-14 Armata tanks, Kurganets infantry fighting vehicles, and Koalitsiya-SV artillery systems. Engaged in the parade were also Iskander-M mobile short-range ballistic missile systems, Buk-M3 and Tor-M2 surface-to-air missile systems, Pantsir-S mobile air defence systems and S-400 Triumf system. Yars mobile intercontinental ballistic missile launchers also crossed the square as part of the hardware column.
The parade concluded with an air show with 76 aircraft and helicopters in the sky, including Mi-26 heavy transport helicopters and Mi-8 multipurpose helicopters, Mi-35 attack helicopters of the Berkut aerobatic team, as well as a Kamov Ka-52 assault helicopter and a Ka-52 Alligator and Mi-28 Night Hunter assault helicopter. A group of three Ilyushin Il-76 transport planes, Tupolev Tu-160 and Tu-95MS strategic bombers capable of carrying cruise missiles flew over Red Square, accompanied by two Ilyushin Il-78 refuelling tanker planes and followed by Sukhoi SU-35S jet fighters, SU-24 bombers, Mikoyan MiG-31 supersonic interceptors, Sukhoi Su-57 fighter jets and a Lipetsk Aviation Centre mixed group of ten Sukhoi Su-30SM, SU-35 fighter jets and SU-34 fighter bombers. The Russkiye Vityazi (Russian Knights) and Strizhi (Swifts) aerobatic teams were penultimate to fly their Sukhoi Su-30SM and Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter jets in the famous Kubinsky Diamond formation. To conclude the airborne part, a group of six Su-25 assault jets flew in the Moscow sky spraying aerosols that matched the colours of the Russian national flag.
In Europe, it so happened, Victory Day is celebrated on May 8. When the act of surrender of Germany was signed that day in 1945, it was already past midnight on May 9 in Moscow.
This year, due to the pandemic, everything is not so large-scale, and nevertheless, in France, there is a national ceremony on the Champs Elysees. It was headed by President Emmanuel Macron. And in Montpellier, wreaths were laid at the graves of Soviet partisan soldiers who gave their lives for the liberation of France.
Germany honored the memory of those who fell during the storming of Berlin. The Victory Banner over the memorial, where more than 13 thousand soldiers and officers of the Red Army are buried, and over the famous Treptower Park, was raised into the sky on his plane by German Thomas Hennig.
In Prague, flowers and wreaths were laid at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. President Milos Zeman attended the ceremony.
Well, in Ukraine, on the eve of May 9, members of the Victory Regiment movement are putting in order the graves of Soviet soldiers, just like in Zaporozhye. And they visit the veterans. This project was named so: "As long as we remember - we are alive."
Vladimir Putin spoke with President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, who flew to Moscow to celebrate Victory Day, about the great date and how common traditions are now continuing.
Also, Russian President expressed gratitude to the veterans and home front workers in his messages to the leaders and citizens of the CIS countries, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as well as the peoples of Georgia and Ukraine
On the eve of the 76th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Alexander Garden near the Kremlin wall.
Sergey Lavrov, speaking on Friday at an online meeting of the UN Security Council, spoke about the substitution of the West for the concepts of international law.
He noted that Russia upholds the order of affairs in the world, in which disagreements become the subject of negotiations, and not a reason for arbitrary pressure from some countries on others. Also, it is unacceptable, practiced by (in particular) the US and Great Britain, the substitution of the norms of international law for some unilaterally declared rules for their own benefit.
During visit to Yerevan, Sergey Lavrov held a bilateral meeting with his Armenian counterpart Ara Aivazian, where they discussed the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh and the supply of Russian COVID-19 vaccine to Armenia. In addition, the Russian minister updated the diagnosis of Russian-EU relations, during a joint press conference.
Recently, the Russian-Armenian partnership has developed so rapidly that, as Sergei Lavrov joked, there is no need to talk about its sharp expansion.
At the talks, the foreign ministers touched on all the main topics. Intense political dialogue - in less than half a year, Vladimir Putin and Nikol Pashinyan spoke in person twice and eight times by phone. In addition, interdepartmental and inter-parliamentary projects, joint educational programs. On Friday, a memorandum of cooperation in the field of biological safety was signed. Moscow has already delivered tens of thousands of doses of Sputnik V to Yerevan, and now the issue of organizing production in Armenia is being resolved. And of course, a sore subject is Karabakh.
Minister Ayvazyan highly appreciated Russia's efforts aimed at fulfilling the agreements, including the extremely topical issue of returning prisoners.
Lavrov urged the world community not to engage in political speculations on the Karabakh issue.Journalists asked about the recent scandal with the mass expulsion of diplomats and about the hysteria that began in Europe after Russia's retaliatory measures, in particular, after a number of European officials were banned from entering our country.
Russian top diplomat recalled that it was the West that launched this chain reaction, and relations between Russia and the EU were destroyed by Brussels after the events in Ukraine and Crimea.Also, on this day, Sergey Lavrov honored the memory of the victims of the Armenian genocide at the beginning of the twentieth century and laid flowers in Yerevan Victory Park. And he spoke with the acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
The Acting Prime Minister thanked the Russian side and President Putin personally for providing assistance in solving the problems caused by the coronavirus pandemic and noted the decisive role of Russia, thanks to which it was possible to stop the bloodshed in Nagorno-Karabakh.
In turn, Lavrov, on behalf of Vladimir Putin, conveyed wishes for success to Pashinyan and assured him that Russia, as before, is committed to preserving the security of its ally country.
Vladimir Putin and Tatyana Golikova discussed the epidemiological situation in the regions.
They also discussed issues related to the production of Russian vaccines against COVID-19. Sputnik-Light was registered today, this is the fourth Russian vaccine. It is made on the same platform as Sputnik V, but requires only one injection.
Today Russia's Sputnik V is one of the most popular and widely used vaccines in the world. It is registered in 60 countries, where about three billion people live. At the same time, the domestic drug has the lowest rate of side effects with the highest efficiency. Nevertheless, the participants of the World Vaccine Congress for some reason recognized the little-studied American drug Moderna as the best vaccine in the world. And it seems that in this case, not so much medical as financial considerations were taken into account.
Russian vaccines are as simple and reliable as a Kalashnikov assault rifle, Putin concluded.
The band's official birthday is May 6, 1991, when it first performed at an aviation show called "Swifts".
In October 1991, the Swifts performed for the first time abroad at the Uppsala airbase in Sweden, and in May 1992, a group of 6 MiG-29s amazed French spectators with their skill at a celebration dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Normandie-Niemen squadron.
In subsequent years, Swifts with dignity represented the aviation of our country in Malaysia, Belgium, Thailand, Hungary, Holland, Bulgaria, USA, Vietnam, China, Mongolia, Germany, Kazakhstan, Czech Republic, United Arab Emirates.
In 1993, the Swifts aerobatic team was awarded the title of "The Best Aerobatic Team in the World".
In 2004, the complex of demonstrations included a joint flight of the Swifts and Russian Knights aerobatic teams consisting of nine aircraft (5 Su-27 and 4 MiG-29) in the "rhombus" formation with the implementation of a full complex of aerobatics. This fact in itself became a world record in the history of aviation. This nine is called the "Cuban diamond". It is in this formation that the Swifts take part in the air parade over Red Square on May 9.
Vladimir Putin congratulated the participants and all hockey fans on the opening of the final stage of the 10th All-Russian Night Hockey League Festival in Sochi.
The main Easter Service in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was conducted by Patriarch Kirill. Among the thousands of parishioners were President Vladimir Putin and Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.
The believers were holding candles in their hands, lit from a particle of the blessed fire. The night before, he was taken by special plane to Vnukovo airport. And from there the fire was transferred to 25 cities of Russia. One of the lamps was brought to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior just in time for the beginning of the service.
Traditionally, during the night liturgy, priests change their white robes for red ones. Icons are also decorated with red flowers. It is both the color of the blood shed by Jesus and of life triumphant over death. With the onset of the bright holiday of Easter, the Patriarch congratulated the Orthodox. He wished all Orthodox Christians physical and spiritual health. And also getting rid of COVID-19, which has become a global threat.
Vladimir Putin, also congratulated everyone who celebrates the Bright Resurrection of Christ on Easter.
The text was distributed today by the Kremlin press service.
The President, in particular, spoke about the enormous moral significance of the Easter holiday. He, according to the head of state, awakens faith, hope and the desire to help others. Vladimir Putin also noted the role of the Russian Orthodox Church in promoting high ideals in society and solving social problems.
The Great Lent, which the Orthodox Christians held for seven weeks, ended today. And according to church canons, you can gather for a festive meal even at night, right after the service.
Easter Sunday is just the beginning of the celebrations. They will last a whole week. This is the time when the royal gates in church altars are opened and all the bells are rung, spreading the endless joy of the Resurrection of Christ throughout the world.
For the Orthodox today, Great Friday or Good Friday, is the most mournful day of the church calendar.
On this day, believers remember the suffering and death of the Savior on the cross. Fasting today is especially strict. The priests today are clothed in dark robes. The ceremony with the Shroud, which symbolizes the canvas that covered the body of Jesus, has been completed. According to tradition, this is an icon-painting or embroidered image, it is placed in the center of the temple, surrounded by white flowers.
In Moscow, in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the service was performed by Patriarch Kirill.
Protecting Russia's interests in the Caspian region is the topic of the meeting of the Russian Security Council on April 30, which was chaired by videoconference by Vladimir Putin. The Caspian Five are Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Iran. The future of the Iranian nuclear deal and large promising projects in the Caspian, the President spoke about this today.
At 10 pm Thursday, on Red Square, the first night rehearsal of the parade crews and the mechanized column of the military parade, timed to coincide with the 76th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War.
The foot column is formed of 37 parade crews, which include officers, sergeants and soldiers of formations and military units, students and cadets of military educational institutions, graduates of the Suvorov military and Nakhimov schools.
The number of the foot column will be more than 12 thousand servicemen.
The mechanized column includes more than 190 samples of military equipment.
Five types of tanks took part in the training: historical, modern and advanced models. The crews of the legendary T-34 tanks will traditionally lead a mechanized column. The modern line of tanks is represented by combat vehicles: T-72B3M, T-80 BVM and T-90M Breakthrough, promising the T-14 tank.
The mechanized column also includes armored vehicles of increased security of the Typhoon family, and the Typhoon-Air Defense model will be held across Red Square for the first time.
Combat vehicles for motorized rifle units are represented by modern BMP-3 and BMP-2 with a Berezhok fighting compartment and the promising Kurganets-25 BMP.
The mechanized column also includes armored vehicles of increased security of the Typhoon family, and the Typhoon-Air Defense model will be held across Red Square for the first time.
Combat vehicles for motorized rifle units are represented by modern BMP-3 and BMP-2 with a Berezhok fighting compartment and the promising Kurganets-25 BMP.
The Iskander-M operational-tactical missile system, the Tornado-S multiple launch rocket system, the MSTA-S self-propelled howitzer and the Koalitsiya-SV inter-service artillery complex will present weapons for the missile forces and artillery.
Modern anti-aircraft missile systems of medium and short-range Buk-M3 and Tor-M2 will present the armament of the military air defense of the Ground Forces.
The Pantsir-S anti-aircraft missile and cannon system and the S-400 anti-aircraft missile system will present the defensive anti-aircraft systems of the Aerospace Forces.
The armament of the Airborne Forces is represented by BMD-4M and BTR-MDM "Shell" combat vehicles.
Also, the mechanized column includes calculations of the modernized heavy flamethrower system of multiple launch rocket launchers TOS-1A, combat vehicles of the engineering system of remote mining, launchers of the Yars missile system, armored personnel carriers BTR-82A, including a promising wheeled armored personnel carrier on the Boomerang platform, armored vehicles military police and National Guard vehicles.
Before the night training, parade crews and crews of the mechanized column held 11 joint trainings in Alabino near Moscow on a special site, which is a model of the main square of the country. All military personnel participating in the training and support of the military parade voluntarily underwent a full course of vaccination against the new coronavirus infection Covid-19.
The second night training session on Red Square will take place on May 4, with a dress rehearsal on May 7.
Vladimir Putin is ironic about the representations of those European politicians who oppose Nord Stream 2 in an online meeting with representatives of French business.
Bulgaria, it seems, has decided to surpass the Czech Republic in its anti-Russian campaign. In Sofia, they announced the involvement of Russian special services in the explosions in Bulgarian military warehouses from 2011 to 2020.
As usual, there is no evidence - there are accusations.
The script seems to have been copied from the Czech, but instead of one warehouse there are already several.
And nothing that the vaults belonged to a well-known arms dealer who sent him to countries such as Georgia and Ukraine. And the fact that the warehouses were stored prohibited anti-personnel mines.
Sergey Lavrov, commenting on the news from Sofia, did not hide his bewilderment.
On Paramedic day, celebrated for the first time this year, Vladimir Putin visited ambulance station No. 4 in Pushkin near St Petersburg.
The ambulance station in Pushkin was founded in 1955, and its new building opened in 2019. Today it has 19 ambulance teams.
Putin congratulated the ambulance station workers on their professional day, Paramedic day, which was established a year ago on the initiative of the President. He also inspected the facility’s equipment and was given a tour around the control room, the PPE storage point, the training area and also the assembly room.
The facility also trains medical students: trainee doctors acquire their practical skills using dummy simulators and attend lectures on tactical medicine and methods for various emergency situations as well as training and exercises with simulation of emergencies; a mentoring system was also introduced.
Sergey Lavrov spoke about the options for the development of relations between Russia and the United States, which many compare with the times of the Cold War, and about the background of their sad situation.
As part of his visit to St. Petersburg, Vladimir Putin also visited the Hermitage to personally donate to the museum a church utensils given to the daughter of Emperor Alexander II.
Church utensils, part of a set to perform the mystery of the Eucharist, was made in 1877 in St Petersburg at the request of the imperial court to be used in the family chapel at Clarence House in London by Great Duchess Maria Alexandrovna, later Duchess of Edinburgh.
After her death a set of church utensils ended up in the hands of collectors.
And now the silver set was redeemed and, finally, returned to the homeland.
Visitors will soon be able to see it, but so far only in the Hermitage.
The President also discussed the State Hermitage development plans with its Director Mikhail Piotrovsky.
On Day of Russian Parliamentarism, Vladimir Putin called on Russian parliamentarians to be responsible and honest towards people, and not to make empty promises at a meeting of the Council of Legislators, which traditionally takes place in the Tauride Palace in St. Petersburg.
By the way, it was in this place, the Tauride Palace, that the Russian parliament was born 115 years ago. Then, on April 27, 1906, the deputies of the very first State Duma, of course, did not think about any virus and social distance. The palace, as a witness to many eras, will now also remember the masks and the coronavirus test.
Military equipment of the mechanized column, which takes part in the military parade on Red Square on May 9 this year, began redeployment from a training site in Alabino near Moscow to a temporary site in Moscow, located on Nizhniye Mnevniki Street in the Capital's Northwestern District.
The column of wheeled military equipment includes Tiger vehicles, armored personnel carriers BTR-82A and Boomerang, Iskander-M, Yars missile systems, Pantsir-S, S-400 anti-aircraft missile and cannon systems ", Armored vehicles" Typhoon ", as well as the equipment of the service group. Tanks T-34-85, T-90M and "Armata", infantry fighting vehicles Kurganets will be delivered to Moscow on special equipment. The total number of wheeled vehicles in the convoy will be more than 200 units.
Tracked vehicles from the mechanized column - T-72B3, T-80BVM, BMD-4M, BMD-MDM tanks, TOS-1 heavy flamethrower systems, Msta-S and Koalitsiya-SV self-propelled artillery mounts, BMP-2 s combat compartment "Berezhok", BMP-3 and anti-aircraft missile systems "Buk-M3", "Tor-M2" - will be delivered by rail to the station "Presnya", after which they will march on their own to a temporary site on the Nizhniye Mnevniki street.
Vladimir Putin signs decree on countermeasures to other states’ unfriendly actions.
The government is tasked to define number of individuals that can be employed by foreign missions.
The diplomatic missions of the United States and the Czech Republic are already deprived of the opportunity to hire workers who are in Russia.
For clarity, for example, at the Czech embassy (Prague announced the expulsion of Russian diplomats twice a week), there were 110 employees hired on the spot. It was announced yesterday that 19 will remain.
In accordance with the instructions of the Minister of Defence Sergei Shoigu, the troops of the Southern Military District and the Airborne troops involved in the events of the sudden check and interspecific exercises at the Opuk training ground have begun to return to their permanent locations.
The missile cruiser Moskva (Moscow), the landing ship Caesar Kunikov and the frigate Admiral Makarov took part in major Crimean exercises. In total, more than 10 thousand servicemen are returning to their places of permanent deployment.
Sergei Shoigu noted that monitoring of the NATO exercises in the Black Sea region will continue, and our military, if necessary, are ready to respond immediately.
The leader of the Donetsk People's Republic Denis Pushilin and the head of the Lugansk People's Republic Leonid Pasechnik invited Volodymyr Zelensky to come to Donbass. Kiev is still silent.
In Moscow on Thursday, Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko talked about strengthening the Union State of Russia and Belarus. But not only.
The presidents discussed Ukraine. As you know, Minsk is a platform for negotiations on Donbass, where the settlement would go properly if President Zelensky decided certain issues with whom he follows, and not with whom he is comfortable. Putin also responded to the Ukrainian leader's offer to meet.
Vladimir Putin, via videoconference, participates in the Leaders Summit on Climate.
A global theme that concerns everyone, because we all live on the same land and breathe the same air.
Climate change, threatening hunger and epidemics, was discussed today by the heads of nearly four dozen states and governments. The summit organised by the United States, the event is being held on April 22–23.
President of put forth Russia’s position regarding the development of broad international cooperation aimed at mitigating the negative consequences of global climate change.
Sergei Shoigu arrived in Crimea, where the main stage of the mixed exercise of the troops of the Southern Military District and the Airborne Troops, which is being conducted as part of a surprise check of combat readiness, will take place today.
Upon arrival in Crimea, Defenсe Minister flew around the areas where troops and military equipment were deployed, checked the readiness of the naval and ground groupings.
Shoigu also heard a report by the Commander of the Southern Military District, General of the Army Alexander Dvornikov, on the forthcoming actions of the troops during the exercise.
In practical actions of troops at the Opuk training ground, units of the combined arms army, air force and air defenсe formations, warships and ships, military units of the coastal forces of the Black Sea Fleet, part of the forces of the Caspian Flotilla of the Southern Military District, as well as airborne units will take part.
On the eve, troops (forces) involved in the exercise were transferred to the concentration areas. The grouping of ships of the Black Sea Fleet and part of the forces of the Caspian Flotilla entered the area of the event. The personnel and military equipment of the Airborne Troops division were loaded onto the planes of the military transport aviation, they departed to the designated area. The loading of the Marine Corps units on large landing ships and landing boats was carried out. The forces and assets of coastal troops, air defence and anti-ship missile systems are deployed in designated areas.
The Opuk training ground is located at a distance of 60 km from Feodosia and 40 km from Kerch. Its dimensions: along the front - 30 km, in depth - 15 km. The capabilities of the training ground allow you to practice the tasks of landing troops and overcoming the anti-amphibious defence of a mock enemy, to carry out amphibious assault landing - up to two battalions of marines at the same time, to fire at coastal targets from naval artillery complexes, and also to use operational-tactical and army aviation.
In the Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly 2021, Vladimir Putin called unacceptable attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of states on the example of an attempt to assassinate Alexander Lukashenko and a coup d'etat in Ukraine.
He also explained the principles of Russia's behavior in the international arena and assured in this regard that the organizers of any provocations against Russia will regret it as they have not regretted anything for a long time.
The ceremony took place at the Manezh Central Exhibition Hall.
The ceremony was attended by members of the Federation Council, State Duma deputies, members of the Government, the heads of the Constitutional and Supreme courts, regional governors, speakers of regional legislatures, the heads of traditional religious denominations and public activists.
The Russian peacekeeping contingent servicemen located in Nagorno-Karabakh started the training of the solemn passing dedicated to the Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.
About 400 Russian servicemen are involved in the training at the Stepanakert airfield. The personnell of the 15 separate motorized rifle brigade (peacekeeping) of the Central Military District, which form the basis of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh, are involved in the rehearsals of the solemn march. In addition, the personnel of the Humanitarian Response Center, the military police, the special medical unit, the command group of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, as well as the CSS units are involved in the rehearsals.
For the 76th anniversary of the Victory on May 9, 2021 the solemn passing of the troops is planned amounting 10 parade crews 45 people each.
Currently, the training of the parade crews of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh is carried out on a regular basis at a specially designated time, so as not to interfere with the fulfillment of the tasks of the peacekeeping contingent for its intended purpose.
Vladimir Putin held a meeting with the Cabinet and the Kremlin administration, focusing on preparations for the annual Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly scheduled for Wednesday.
The President considers the social sphere and the development of infrastructure projects to be the main directions.
Putin said back in the first half of March that preparations for the Presidential Address to the Russian Parlament had already started. Since then, he held a separate session with the Cabinet leadership, focusing on the results of the implementation of his last year’s messages. At other recent meetings, Putin repeatedly noted that the topics discussed and comments of participants in the discussion were important for him in terms of work on the 2021 state-of-the-nation address.
Russia will give a tit-for-tat response to the expulsion of ten Russian diplomats from the United States, Sergey Lavrov said on Friday.
As well as, in response to the sanctions against Russian officials imposed by the US administration on March 2 of this year, the following incumbent and former US high-ranking officials and figures complicit in pursuing the anti-Russia policy, are denied entry to the Russian Federation: Merrick Brian Garland, United States Attorney General; Michael D. Carvajal, Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons; Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas, United States Secretary of Homeland Security; Susan Elizabeth Rice, Director of the United States Domestic Policy Council, former US Permanent Representative to the United Nations and National Security Advisor; Christopher Asher Wray, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Avril Danica Haines, Director of US National Intelligence.
In addition, entry is denied to John Robert Bolton, former National Security Advisor to the United States President, former US Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and Robert James Woolsey Jr., former director of the US Central Intelligence Agency.
The minister also promised Poland a mirror response to the expulsion of three Russian diplomats.Perhaps everything was 'avenged' with the exception of sanctions against the Russian national debt. But here, too, Lavrov threatened with the 'hidden' sanctions against American business.
In conclusion, the top diplomat promised to restrict and terminate the activities on Russian territory of American funds and NGO's that interfere in the internal political life of the Russian Federation.
Vladimir Putin is holding a joint meeting of the Presidium of the State Council and the Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI) in Novo-Ogarevo via video link.
The mechanisms of the National Social Initiative (NSI) are discussed. The issues that concern millions of people in Russia are in the center of attention at a large meeting with the President. How to enroll a child in school, quickly get to the doctor and get help with finding a job?
According to Vladimir Putin, today's ideas will be taken into account when preparing a Address to the Federal Assembly on April 21.
The president named the improvement of the quality of life of Russians as the main ultimate goal.
During Russian Geographical Society meeting on Wednesday, Vladimir Putin announced that he has received his second COVID-19 vaccine dose.
President hopes that the COVID-19 pandemic will recede soon, in particular due to the vaccination drive.
Putin received the first vaccine dose on March 23. Details of the jab were not revealed. The president and his representatives explained that all three Russian vaccines were effective and safe.
The head of state said after the first jab he felt fine and only felt a little discomfort in his left shoulder for a couple of days.
Putin urged everyone to get vaccinated, for the sake of his own and loved ones health.
Accompanied by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Vladimir Putin visited the Coordination Centre of the Russian Federation Government.
The meeting rooms are named after the Russian peninsulas "Crimea" and "Kamchatka", etc. And the workplaces are named after the Russian rivers. Government offices these days should look like this - a modern office with fast digital access to all the data that the authorities have at their disposal.
The Government Coordination Center was conceived as a unit capable of increasing the efficiency of government agencies by optimizing the work of officials. The emergence of such a structure in the government is called an example of the digital transformation of the state apparatus. Its heart will be a situational center created to help coordinate the actions of individual authorities.
One of the tasks that the focal point will be engaged in is monitoring the implementation of national projects. But there are other directions as well. The President was satisfied with the work of the new structure.
The Coordination Centre’s activities rely on modern digital technologies, including a special project management system, a risk management system for the socioeconomic advancement in Russia, a multimodal system for collecting feedback from the citizens, a data analysis system and other systems. Big data is coming in real time, including from the government information systems of various levels and other sources.
On Tuesday, telephone conversation initiated by the United States took place between Vladimir Putin and Joseph Biden.
The current state of Russia-US relations and certain pressing items on the international agenda were discussed in detail. Joseph Biden confirmed the previously transmitted invitation to the President of Russia to take part in the virtual Leaders Summit on Climate, which will be held on April 22–23.
Both presidents expressed their willingness to continue the dialogue on the critical areas of ensuring global security, which would meet the interests not only of Russia and the United States, but the entire international community. In addition, Joseph Biden expressed interest in normalising the state of affairs on the bilateral track and establishing stable and predictable interaction on pressing matters such as ensuring strategic stability and arms control, Iran’s nuclear programme, the situation in Afghanistan, and global climate change.
In this context, the US President suggested considering the possibility of holding a personal summit meeting in the foreseeable future.
When exchanging views on the internal Ukrainian crisis, Vladimir Putin outlined approaches to a political settlement based on the Minsk Package of Measures.
It was agreed to instruct the relevant departments to work through the issues raised during the telephone conversation.
