Meeting with municipal officials

The meeting took place on Local Self-Government Day, which is observed annually on April 21.

The discussion addressed issues important to residents of municipalities of all sizes - from small villages and towns to regional capitals. Particular attention was given to major programmes such as Integrated Territorial Development, Creating a Comfortable Urban Environment, and Integrated Rural Development. Participants also highlighted what one speaker described as "small matters of great significance for the people," including free or subsidised connection of households to gas pipelines, maintenance of water supply systems in small communities, and the preservation of cultural heritage sites in small historic towns.

The discussion also addressed the role of municipal workers in efforts to integrate the historical territories of Donbass and Novorossiya into Russia's economic, cultural, and professional landscape. The President emphasised that all levels of government - federal, regional, and municipal - must work tirelessly towards reaching the set objective - to bring these new regions up to the national standards by 2030.

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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, colleagues.

We meet regularly in various formats - I mean representatives of the municipal community. In this broader format, perhaps not as often as we would like to, but still on a consistent basis: this is already the third year in a row that we have held this annual event. I hope it is meaningful for you as well, for it certainly is significant for me, because you engage directly with the people. This is an additional channel of communication with the country's citizens, which is extremely important.

I hope you will share your assessments of the government's actions and their effectiveness - what measures taken by the federal government are working and are truly needed, and what aspects of our joint efforts require further improvement. We will also listen to your ideas and advice as to how best to convey these positions to the deputies of the State Duma.

I know that Ms Valentina Matviyenko, Irina Guseva, co-chair of the All-Russian Association for the Development of Local Self-Government, as well as colleagues from the Government and the Presidential Executive Office, have already spoken here.

Nevertheless, even after these meetings, you may still have additional points you would like to share with me. I am at your disposal.

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