Meeting with Governor of the Astrakhan Region Igor Babushkin

The Governor updated the President on the region's socioeconomic status. In his presentation, he said that as part of the Education National Project, the region built seven schools and 18 kindergartens, and another five were expected to be completed by the end of the year. This effort eliminated waiting lists for children over 18 months old whose parents want to enrol them in pre-school institutions. One third of the region's population benefits from social support, receiving various benefits and allocations. In 2023, 12 billion rubles went towards paying out these disbursements. The region has been proactively working with the federal Government to draft new national projects and align them with regional initiatives.

Igor Babushkin Babushkin IgorGovernor of Astrakhan Regionwent on to talk about efforts to support special military operation participants and their families. The region provides 59 measures of support, and has earmarked 2.2 billion rubles for direct payments. It also sends humanitarian aid to combat units under its supervision, along with hardware and unmanned aerial vehicles, while school students write letters to the military personnel, which has also been an important factor. The Governor talked about his personal meetings with special military operation participants, Vladimir Putin noted that the Governor probably did not have a problem connecting with the fighters considering his experience of serving in one of the combat units.

When asked by the President about the challenges the region was facing, Igor Babushkin said that young people tend to relocate from remote regions to the federal centre and major cities. To address this issue, the authorities have been creating the necessary conditions to persuade young people that the region has significant strategic development potential and can offer them the opportunities they need to unlock their talents.

The Governor also said that the Arkhangelsk Maritime Cadet Corps won the national contest among cadet corps last year and received the Presidential Banner. The region has drafted a project to expand this institution. In this context, Igor Babushkin asked the President to instruct the Government to factor funding for this project into the next budget cycle, and the President approved this initiative.

Vladimir Putin reminded the Governor that the issue of relocating people from sub-standard housing remains urgent for the region. Igor Babushkin elaborated on this matter and explained why the region was falling behind in its efforts to build blocks of flats.

The Volga-Caspian Canal was also discussed. According to the Governor, cargo handling is on the rise, with expectations of handling five million tonnes through the Arkhangelsk ports this year. This increase is largely attributed to the efforts to achieve a navigable depth of 4.5 metres, as directed by the President.

The Governor also reported on fleet modernisation efforts, noting that shipbuilding enterprises have secured work for the next two years, with a loan portfolio of around 50 billion rubles. Additionally, eight dry cargo ships will soon enter the Caspian Sea, and construction is underway for a container cargo fleet and a dredging fleet.

Vladimir Putin mentioned that during his recent visit to Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev Aliyev IlhamPresident of Azerbaijanexpressed concern about the Caspian Sea becoming shallow. He also spoke very positively about cooperation with the Astrakhan Region. The head of state requested Igor Babushkin to prepare and send him a formal appeal, asking for a scientific analysis of the developments in the Volga and Caspian Sea region to determine the necessary actions to support the Caspian Sea. The President added that he would issue corresponding instructions to the Government.

Igor Babushkin said that he would promptly prepare the report. The President requested that this be done as quickly as possible.

The Governor also noted that the Arkhangelsk Region represents Russia in the Caspian space, with efforts focused not only on economic, transport, and logistics sectors but also on strengthening cultural and humanitarian ties.

Igor Babushkin noted that the 9^th Caspian Media Forum was recently held, attracting over a thousand participants. A classical art festival is also underway, bringing together cultural figures and musicians from across the Caspian region, with participants from Belarus and Uzbekistan joining as well. In September, the final of the Children of Russia Sing competition will take place for the third time, gathering 400 finalists selected from over 10,000 participants. All the finalists will come together to form a single choir in the Astrakhan Kremlin.

In closing the meeting, Vladimir Putin emphasised to the Governor that while some challenges are unavoidable, like the Caspian Sea's shallowing or the desertification of pastures, others require administrative and financial responses through appropriate measures. Beyond the resettlement of residents from sub-standard housing, the President highlighted the importance of focusing on regional and municipal roads. He urged the Governor to stay focused on these issues and, if needed, to reach out to the federal Government to ensure their alignment with relevant programmes.

Overall, the President acknowledged that the region is developing steadily and at a good pace.

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