Meeting of the Council for Strategic Development and National Projects

Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak Novak AlexanderDeputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Russian Federation delivered a report on the implementation of the Structural Transformation Plan. Minister of Finance Anton Siluanov Siluanov AntonMinister of Finance of the Russian Federation reported on measures to ensure balanced budgets for the constituent entities of the Russian Federation in 2026-2029. Deputy Prime Minister - Chief of the Government Staff Dmitry Grigorenko Grigorenko DmitryDeputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Russian Federation - Chief of the Government Staff of the Russian Federation spoke about working with regions to achieve the sociological indicators set out in the national development goals.

Head of the Russian Popular Front Executive Committee Mikhail Kuznetsov Kuznetsov MikhailHead of the Russian Popular Front Executive Committee presented the results of monitoring the implementation of national projects. State Secretary - Deputy Minister of Defence and Chair of the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation Anna Tsivileva Tsivileva AnnaState Secretary - Deputy Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation reported on systemic efforts to support special military operation participants and their families.

* * *

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Colleagues, good afternoon.

Today, we are holding a regular meeting of the Council for Strategic Development and National Projects. We will all work together - Government members, heads of regions, representatives of business associations and civil society groups - to discuss our far-reaching and shared effort to achieve Russia's long-term development objectives. Let me remind you that these cover key sectors, including demographics, education, creating a people-friendly living environment, technological leadership, and the digital transition.

Of course, national goals also provide for ensuring robust and quality growth for our national economy and generating higher growth rates across a wide spectrum of sectors. I suggest we begin with this particular topic.

According to statistical data, overall economic performance has been quite modest, while remaining in positive territory. GDP growth has been about 1 percent. Let me note that this indicator was 0.6 percent in the first six months, against 1.3 percent growth in the second quarter.

Of course, several factors, including external pressure and terrorist attacks targeting our industrial sites and infrastructure, have been affecting economic growth rates.

It goes without saying that these attacks will not have, do not cause and cannot bring about any critical consequences. True, they do cause harm - this much is obvious, and we understand this, we see this, and we are aware of it.

I would like to emphasise once again that we must reinforce our national sovereignty and be more effective in terms of our defence and security, as well as, of course, on socioeconomic matters.

We are already carrying out the Economic Restructuring Plan, which provides, among other things, for creating modern, productive jobs and increasing output in sectors offering high added value - this is a matter of generating quality, robust growth within the national economy.

I will elaborate on the key conditions for fostering this kind of development separately. For now, let me note that the Government drafted the Economic Restructuring Plan last year and it is designed to cover a period until 2030. In keeping with our agreement, its implementation implies a steady and unrelenting effort with permanent performance assessments, including at the regional level and taking into consideration not only the way regional economies evolve, but also the situation with their budgets and the size of their debt burden. Today, we will hear a detailed report on this topic.

To be continued.