More Development: South & New Russia Plus Azov Sea Region

Very difficult to find good maps. This one doesn’t show South Ossetia or Abkazia, although their capitals are noted. The orange within Krasnodar Krai is the Republic of Adygea, and none of the North Caucasus states are named. This map does;

After all the fun at the World Youth Festival, President Putin returned to his duties by chairing a video discussion about the ongoing development of these regions Putin listed: “Republic of Crimea and the city Sevastopol, Krasnodar Krai, Rostov Oblast and Republic of Adygea, Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions.” The Republic of Adygea was also known as the Cherkess Autonomous Oblast within Krasnodar Krai and is located in the Northwestern Caucasus region, which is where Patrushev is today in Ingushetia. The entire Caucasus Region remains as complex and dynamic as it was 250 years ago when Russia began its slow-motion absorption of the region—the mountainous terrain allowed for the development of tribal peoples who despite living in close proximity had different languages, often mutually unintelligible, although they often shared cultural traits and behaviors. The people of Adygea constitute an individual ethno-linguistic group, which is why they were accorded an autonomous status in the USSR’s formative years that continues today. Yes, this implies that there’re more than one of these governing entities within Russia that are considered autonomous, which most importantly means they retain their national language in both the educational and political spheres, which translates to the cultural sphere. These are the very rights that the Nazis installed by NATO in Ukraine sought to prevent ethic Russians and other minorities from enjoying that were enshrined in the Ukrainian Constitution both before and after the USSR’s demise. It was that facet of the USSR, what was called The Nationality Problem by so-called Sovietologists, that was the preferred Divide and Rule stratagem favored by the West to undermine and eliminate the USSR, which is now being used on Russia despite the fact it failed on the USSR. That’s one reason why economic development and its fruits need to be distributed as evenly as possible to prevent socio-economic grievances from being utilized as wedges to undermine Russia. If Russia clearly outperforms the EU, then what incentive does anyone have to join that entity; and that’s easy to do thanks to the Outlaw US Empire’s successful war on the EU.

Now for the discussion. All emphasis mine:

Vladimir Putin: Dear colleagues, good afternoon!

We have agreed to devote today's meeting to the development of the economy, housing and transport infrastructure, as well as the environmental well-being of the south of Russia and the Azov region.

We will focus on such regions as the Republic of Crimea, the city of Sevastopol, the Krasnodar Territory, the Rostov Region and the Republic of Adygea, the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions.

I would like to note at once that all these regions of the Russian Federation have a great potential for development, primarily in the real sector of the economy, including metallurgy, mechanical engineering, and the agro-industrial complex.

Last week, during my Address, I spoke about a number of measures that are designed to support local business and investment activity, so that new, complex, high-tech production facilities are opened throughout Russia, and efficient, well-paid, modern jobs are created.

Taking into account these decisions, I expect to hear a detailed report on specific economic development projects that are already being implemented or planned to be launched in the southern and Azov regions.

Of course, the prospects for business expansion and for domestic companies to enter foreign markets are linked to the strengthening of transport infrastructure. We have already discussed this issue with some of our colleagues this morning.

Unfortunately, there are some bottlenecks here in the southern direction. First of all, I'm talking about the railway. These bottlenecks should also be in our field of vision right now. The railway performs the main load of cargo transportation, the railway operates with an increased load. In particular, business demand for transportation to southern ports is growing. We are well aware of the number of transshipment opportunities in the ports of the Black Sea basin alone and the railway's ability to transport cargo to these ports. In my opinion, they are four times different from each other, about four times. In other words, the railway can transport four times less cargo than the ports can handle. Today I would like to outline proposals for expanding the capacity of railways in the direction of the Azov and Black Seas. In particular, I suggest that you think about the possible division of freight and passenger traffic in the southern direction.

At the same time, let me remind you of the task that has already been set. What do I mean? It is necessary to reduce the travel time of passenger trains from Moscow to the Black Sea coast to 16 hours. We have already discussed this many times. The Azov and Black Seas are traditional holiday destinations loved by millions of our citizens, and tourism is one of the key economic sectors of the entire region.

In the Message, I announced the launch of a large-scale project "Five Seas", which will also cover the Azov and Black Sea regions. Modern hotel complexes with hotels, medical and rehabilitation infrastructure, bases for water tourism and recreation will be built here.

I would like to emphasize that we need to make sure that as many of our citizens and families as possible can have a rest in Russia, choose a vacation to their liking: beach, ski, educational and so on. And at affordable prices and with a high level of comfort.

Today, many tourists go to the south, to the sea, as they say, on their own: by car along the M-4 Don expressway. During the Message, I also spoke about the idea of building a new highway Dzhubga–Sochi on the Black Sea coast with many tunnels and bridges. We have already discussed this issue with some of our colleagues from the Government. During the meeting, we will also focus on approaches to implementing this complex, capital-intensive, but, of course, important and in-demand project. We also discussed the topic with the Prime Minister, and we understand what this is related to. This is a capital-intensive project. You need to approach it very carefully, calmly. I'll say it again: the right project for people.

In general, I would like to note that we have big plans for the development of the road network in the Azov-Black Sea region. In the next five years, 460 kilometers of federal and 320 kilometers of regional roads will be built and reconstructed here. We are upgrading the exits from the Tavrida highway to the southern coast of Crimea.

A separate issue is the further development of the so-called Ring of Azov, the highway around our already inner Sea of Azov. We will definitely touch on this topic as well. The length of the Azov ring, Marat Shakirzyanovich will say about it, how much? One thousand 400 kilometers? The highway is being expanded from two to four lanes.

What else would you like to add? New infrastructure, roads, and networks are the most important factor in the socio-economic development of localities, cities, and regions.

Last year, 13 million square meters of housing were commissioned in the Krasnodar Territory, Rostov Region, Adygea, Crimea and Sevastopol. This is 12 percent of the total volume of housing construction in Russia. At the same time, the urban development potential for 2030, that is, prepared and already launched projects, totals more than 74 million square meters.

It is very important that the current pace of the construction industry, as well as our support tools, including family mortgages, work to increase the availability of housing for citizens and for Russian families so that they can improve their living conditions, move to new houses and new apartments. And of course, such residential development should go synchronously with the entire social infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, kindergartens. We are constantly talking about this with the governors, including the governors of these regions, and the heads of the regions.

I would also like to note that with federal support, our southern regions have significantly increased the volume of emergency housing and emergency funds. It is important not to reduce this dynamic. The Government has already been instructed to prepare a new federal program in this regard. I am sure that our colleagues in the regions of the Russian Federation will actively join in this work or continue this work, where it is already going quite intensively.

Special attention should be paid to improving the urban environment. As part of the relevant federal project, more than 2,700 courtyards and public spaces have already been landscaped in the south and in the Azov region. As I said, we will definitely continue this project. We will focus on supporting the regions of the Russian Federation that are reconstructing embankments, parks, squares, and historical centers of cities. I hope that the regions of southern Russia will also take advantage of this opportunity.

And in conclusion, the following: We are meeting in Sochi, the capital of the 2014 Winter Olympics. In the run-up to the games, the city's public transport fleet was updated. It's been 10 years since then. The current condition of buses and their ecological class often do not meet the requirements of residents and guests of the south of Russia, guests of Sochi. In this regard, I propose to work out the issue of a comprehensive upgrade of public transport in Sochi-of course, based on domestic technology, taking into account advanced environmental standards and high quality of transportation. And this is important for Sochi residents, for the entire Krasnodar Territory and for the whole country, since vacationers come here from all over the country.

Please, let's get started. The floor is given to Maxim G. Reshetnikov. Please, Maxim Gennadievich.

Mikhail : Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, Colleagues!

The Azov-Black Sea region is one of the key growth points on the Russian map. Taking into account the new regions, this is 12 percent of the population and 6 percent of the production of goods and services. The economic structures are balanced here: a large transport and logistics hub, agriculture, which is associated with a third of the manufacturing industry, oil refining, mechanical engineering, metalworking and, of course, tourism, as you mentioned.

An additional driver of development in the last decade was the Sochi Olympics and the return of Crimea. Budget investments in the social, municipal, and road infrastructure of the peninsula, the Crimean Bridge with access from the Krasnodar Territory, and investments in the energy sector have stimulated the influx of private capital. As a result, investment here has tripled compared to 2014, and the growth of the peninsula's economy is also three times faster than the national average.

In general, by 2022, almost all southern regions were ahead of the national average growth rate, and industry, tourism, and real money incomes of the population grew faster.

Sanctions have opened up new opportunities for most of the southern regions, which they actively use. Over the past two years, all regions have increased investment, and the growth rate is twice the average for Russia.

Industry is growing faster than the national average, and there are indeed many examples of real projects being implemented here. In the Rostov region, two major oil refining projects are being implemented, and this year a plant for the production of components for agricultural and road equipment was launched. A plant for the production of citric acid, starch, and corn gluten will be built in the Krasnodar Territory. There are many such examples.

Both regions and businesses actively use state support measures: the restructuring of regional debts to the federal budget in exchange for investment, infrastructure budget loans, agreements on the protection and promotion of investment, and other tools.

The development of regions is supported by preferential treatment, which reduces taxation for businesses. More than 1,200 projects are currently being implemented within the free economic zone in Crimea and Sevastopol. Last year alone, the business invested 40 billion rubles.

Also last year, similar to Crimea, in accordance with your instructions, Mr President, a free economic zone was created in new regions, where additional preferences are provided, taking into account the specifics of the territories ' economy, in particular in metallurgy. More than 70 enterprises have already become residents, they plan to invest 40 billion rubles and create 5 thousand new jobs.

Also, on your instructions, we are creating a special economic zone in the Rostov region with the profile "Mechanical Engineering and manufacturing industry". The region has already found residents.

The growth of agriculture in the southern regions is associated with strong state support within the framework of the agro-industrial complex program. In particular, with the support of these programs, fruit orchards have been laid in Crimea, greenhouses have been built, and wine production is developing both in the Crimea and in the Krasnodar Territory, including thanks to the decisions taken to protect the domestic market from products from unfriendly countries.

In tourism, the indicators slightly decreased. We understand that the situation in Crimea and Sevastopol is not easy. First of all, this is a question of transport accessibility. But in order to support the tourism industry of the peninsula, on your instructions, in 2022 and in 2023, more than 3 billion rubles were provided to support the tourism industry.

What trends and prospects do we see? The economy of the Azov-Black Sea region will continue to grow faster than the average for the Russian economy, at a faster pace.

One of the key growth points is logistics. Port facilities have a reserve. At the moment, they are loaded by two-thirds. There is a potential for increasing transshipment volumes. By 2030, growth is projected to reach 360 million tons, primarily due to the development of the ports of Novorossiysk and Taman. At the same time, investors announce plans to further increase capacity by 40 million tons by 2030.

But the main railway infrastructure provides about a third of the port's cargo turnover, and it is fully loaded. Currently, as part of the review of the draft investment program, Russian Railways is proposing to increase its capacity to 152 million tons by 2030.

Vladimir Putin: And even then, probably, the port capacities are such that they can handle more.

Mikhail Reshetnikov: They can pass more than that.

Vladimir Putin: There are 400, in my opinion.

Replica: 490.

Vladimir Putin: 490.

M. Reshetnikov: It turns out 363, plus 40 planned ones. There we need oil separately, there is a large transshipment.

The demand for trips to the south will also continue. By 2030, the number of tourist trips will double, taking into account new regions, which means that passenger traffic on both railways and highways will increase.

But of course, two-thirds of tourists come here by air, so the reconstruction of Sochi airports is an extremely important project right now. The Ministry of Transport and the Federal Air Transport Agency have found a solution to reduce the flow of construction work to a minimum. According to the latest scheme, it will be about two million passengers a year, while at the beginning it was assumed that there will be almost six.

Therefore, many thanks to our colleagues here, but the reconstruction is extremely important. Russian Railways will offer compensatory measures to transport the drop-off passenger traffic. Plus, this year it is planned to complete the reconstruction of Gelendzhik, and Krasnodar and Anapa are next in line. Plus the reconstruction of airports in new territories.

The growing demand for travel will require an increase in the number of rooms. By 2030, in order to achieve the figures indicated as the goal, it is necessary to introduce 90 thousand additional numbers, and even now the regions declare 82 thousand numbers in their programs. At the same time, support programs are actively being implemented. 17 large hotels with 6 thousand rooms are already being built under the concessional lending program, and now we are conducting and completing a new stage of selection. The applications include 24 more projects for 7 thousand rooms. That is, 13 thousand numbers of already large projects. At the same time, businesses here actively invest in small hotels themselves.

Housing construction will also remain an important growth point. At the same time, if earlier the population increased due to migration growth, now there is no such active influx, and in the future, according to Rosstat estimates, by 2030 the population will remain approximately at the same level. At the same time, the potential of urbanization remains. The reason for this is the outstripping growth of productivity in agriculture, in rural areas. From this point of view, the population will grow in large cities. Plus, there really is a shortage of infrastructure, social and engineering, and this should be taken into account when making urban planning decisions. New regions will become separate growth points. There are large-scale projects to restore infrastructure here, Marat Shakirzyanovich will report on this.

To realize the full economic potential of the southern regions, it is necessary to remove three types of restrictions: in the energy sector, in housing and utilities, and in transport. In the energy sector, a power shortage is forecast for the Southwestern part of the Azov-Black Sea region by 2029. In this regard, network restrictions will be eliminated. The Ministry of Energy and Rosseti have already planned the construction of the 500 kilovolt Tikhoretsk – Taman overhead line by 2029. And now the Ministry of Energy is preparing parameters for selection for the construction of new generation facilities with a capacity of almost 1 gigawatt.

The required volumes of grid construction and generation will be adjusted to take into account the specifics of power supply in Zaporizhia and Kherson regions, first of all, capacity allocation and the prospects for the operation of Zaporizhia NPP. This can give a strong additional boost, there is a large capacity here, which can help the development of the entire region.

In large cities, there is a shortage of public utilities. Currently, the problem is being solved within the framework of housing and utilities financing programs. In particular, on your instructions, funds were allocated from the National Welfare Fund to support housing and utilities projects. And in the South, 11 projects worth 28 billion rubles in the Rostov region, Krasnodar Territory, Adygea and Crimea are supported.

The regions are also actively participating in the municipal infrastructure modernization program, the state program for the development of Crimea and Sevastopol is being implemented, there are many sewage treatment plants planned, and work is also underway.

By transport. From our point of view, there is still a potential for additional cargo delivery by river transport. We believe that about 13 million tons can be additionally brought to this region via the river, taking into account all the logistics. In order to realize this river potential, we need a balanced tariff policy, coordination of railway and water tariffs, so that both can be loaded depending on the types of cargo, so that there is no overflow and unnecessary competition.

The Ministry of Transport has also planned a set of measures for the hydraulic structures of the Volga-Don Canal and the Volga-Kama basin, and it is also necessary to build about 100 cargo ships to carry all these cargoes.

Also, the use of rivers will increase partnership with the Caspian countries. We still have a great transit potential here. And, of course, the expansion of road infrastructure sections. Here are the issues of the south-western bypass of Krasnodar, the expansion of the M4 "Don" section on the approaches to Rostov, this is where the bottlenecks are now, you mentioned them.

In general, Mr Putin, the decisions that you voiced in your Address create a serious resource potential for the development of all regions, provide and develop the range of tools that we have. And all this together will allow us to remove the existing restrictions and support the really strong economic growth that we have seen here in recent years. But all this requires further coordinated, well-coordinated work, which is currently underway.

Thanks

Vladimir Putin: Thank you.

Marat Shakirzyanovich, please.

M. Khusnullin : Vladimir Vladimirovich!

In your Address, you set the task of taking a comprehensive approach to regional development issues. That is why, in preparation for this meeting, we carried out some work of the Government, regions and Administration, prepared a booklet of urban development, in which we took all nine regions as one macro-region. It looked at all urban planning, transport, and economic development. We did a great job, in fact, this is an element of the master plan, which you can continue to work on. Perspective until 2036.

I would like to note that in the nine regions where we have four new territories, we have identified 12 major agglomerations, 28 major cities, and strongholds. Today, 10 million people live only in these certain localities, and 14 million tourists come a year, that is, this is a huge territory with a huge development prospect.

We also tried to integrate new territories into the program. This is their first time participating in such a large-scale project. I must say that the heads of new subjects are very actively involved in this work. We see a great prospect for the development of new territories in conjunction with the entire adjacent territory. We see that our urban development potential will grow to almost 100 million square meters, despite the fact that these territories, such as the Krasnodar Territory and Adygea, are generally one of the drivers of housing development, they have been building more than a meter in recent years.

We have identified 105 growth points, identified 66 sites for KRT, and linked these plans to the Strategy for Sustainable Development of the Azov Region until 2040, which is being prepared by Maxim Stanislavovich Oreshkin. We have reviewed all the available land, conducted a land analysis with the Federal State Registration Service, found thousands of hectares of unused land, and we propose that as part of this master plan, we instruct the regions to work out the urban development potential of these territories.

For housing construction, this accounts for 12 percent of our total volume. Vladimir Vladimirovich, thanks to those decisions on emergency response, we are now drawing up a new program until 2030. Moreover, I want to note that the Rostov region, Adygea, and Sevastopol have prematurely allowed the previous program of resettling emergency housing. In other words, we are already starting a new program.

It should be noted that we are actively developing the so-called infrastructure menu. The regions selected 180 billion rubles of infrastructure projects only for 2022-2026 in the forecast. We are planning only 161 billion rubles for the development of housing and communal services.

Here, of course, it should be noted, Vladimir Vladimirovich, that for the first time, probably, in the entire recent history, we have taken a comprehensive approach to the construction of sewage treatment plants on your instructions. Today, we are building 46 sewage treatment plants for 1 million 300 thousand cubic meters. This is on the territory of the Black Sea coast and in the Crimea. Basically, we will finish this work by 2030. The main works will be completed in 2026-2027.

But while developing this master plan, we see that the same program is necessary for the Sea of Azov, since it has become our internal one. Therefore, we ask you to give instructions to gradually work out the cleaning of the Sea of Azov until 2030, taking into account urban development.

Our road network is very actively developing. In general, Mr Putin, you know all the major routes. We will reach the Crimean Bridge from Krasnodar by the end of the year, and the road is being built in full swing. All the major projects that we have, they are finished, such as the M4 Don road, Aksai bypass, Tavrida, exits from Tavrida. We have a clear plan of action. In general, I would like to say that over the past six years we have invested about 1 trillion rubles in the road infrastructure of this region. In general, this is the largest construction site in our country. And we continue to see its development.

Moreover, I would like to note that the regions are actively implementing their road construction plans. All our plans have either been fulfilled or exceeded, which means that we have a very well-coordinated team work on this issue.

In total, the total transport network is 7.5 thousand kilometers. We have identified the main support network within these 7.5 thousand kilometers – the main road and all access roads to the sea. We counted it for money. We see the possibility of building a route around the Sea of Azov – this is 1,400 kilometers. Moreover, we have divided it into stages, and this will be done more than once. Where there is an additional stream, there from two to four lanes are expanded. We already have some of the money in the budget, and we will spend some of it as the work progresses.

Moreover, now the new territories are already undergoing full-fledged design at all stages, including bypasses of Mariupol and bypasses of a number of cities.

A lot of work is planned, of course, in the direction from Sochi to Dzhubga. This is a very powerful project. We absolutely see that without the development of this project, neither tourists nor local residents themselves will be able to enter and leave further, because the development continues, the flow is large. We see an influx of up to 10 million people by 2030, taking into account certain restrictions, both by rail and by airports. Of course, part of the flow will go by road. We believe that this road as an axis, as in its time "Tavrida" gave the development of the Crimea with all the congresses-it will also give a very serious development with all the congresses.

We have worked deeply on this issue on your instructions. We have a trace, a cost, and approaches. We are ready to implement this task already. I would like to note that the effect of this road, only from Dzhubga to Adler, is as follows. We will reduce the travel time from seven hours to one and a half hours, and ensure GDP growth of 2.2 trillion. We have 50 million square meters of real estate in the zone of gravity, and this is not only housing, it is also sanatoriums, it is also places of employment.

Vladimir Vladimirovich, another factor. We have more than 200 people killed on this road every year, and hundreds of injured people. These are people's lives, they are priceless. Therefore, this is also a very important point that needs to be taken into account today.

We are very actively engaged in public transport on your behalf. I want to say that in recent years, we have reached almost 70 percent of the overall level of public transport in the regions, without new territories yet. Thanks to the decisions that you have made on financing, thanks to those tools, we set a goal to upgrade public transport to 85 percent by 2030.

And I want to say right away that the key task of all settlements of the Azov-Black Sea cluster is to create new transport schemes for the development of public transport, taking into account parking spaces. This is a key task. We will not be able to provide this territory with cars alone. We are doing this work together with our colleagues, and we have an understanding. In general, we have 18 thousand public transport units, and we plan to upgrade almost all of them in the coming years.

We are working hard to update public transport in new territories. We now have even more vehicles than drivers, and we don't even have time to find drivers for some of the vehicles. Transportation is also actively developing there, and I think we will also integrate them into this common network.

A lot of work is being done on airports, we see 14 airports in this zone, of which we see three airports in new territories, which, we believe, will also work in the coming years. There is an understanding of how to do this and how much it will cost. The Ministry of Transport is doing a lot of work here, and we are in touch with the Minister. There are plans to modernize seven airports by 2030, including those in Sochi, Krasnodar and a number of other airports. Last year, Sochi served 14 million passengers, which is 7.6 percent more.

In order to further develop the entire territory, I spoke with the Minister and Andrei Ramovich today, of course, we will need to make a transport balance, a transport scheme for all types of transport. This is a link between how much we will carry by rail, because, as you absolutely correctly said, we have significantly more ports than we carry. We need to find a clear balance between long-distance passengers, cargo, commuter transportation and transportation, for example, within the Sochi agglomeration – the fact that electric trains work today. This is our main growth point.

I think that the Ministry of Transport will work out this task together with its colleagues, Russian Railways, and the regions in the near future, if instructed.

On waterways, we consider the proposal of the Ministry of Economy absolutely correct. This is our underutilized reserve. In general, I believe that during the construction project that exists, it is necessary to use the river and the portside, coastal strip for both cargo and passengers. Here, too, there are developments in technology, ships, and the development of port areas.

We plan to build the Bagaevsky junction in the next three years. This will make it possible to increase the capacity of the Don River to 27 million tons. This is a very large volume - from almost 9 million tons to 27.

On your instructions, we have prepared documents on the integrated commission, which all structures are interested in. There is your solution. We will issue a commission in the near future where we will look at this macro-region together.

In general, if all the plans that we have here are implemented Mr Putin, we will have a city potential of almost 100 million, an increase in tourist trips will be doubled – from 14 million to 28 (this is a lot), the commissioning of housing will also be about 100 million, the railway passenger traffic will be about 100 million passengers, reduced travel time from Dzhubga to Adler from 7 to one and a half hours. Increasing the capacity on the route around the Sea of Azov by three times, because we are seriously expanding it, and bringing 85 percent of the rolling stock of public transport to a standard state.

There are such plans, there are sources, and you have identified all these areas in your Message. We just need to work, Mr Putin.

Thanks

Vladimir Putin: Good. Thank you very much.

Please, Alexander Alexandrovich Kozlov.

A. : Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, Dear colleagues!

The ecological situation of the nine regions that are part of the Azov-Black Sea cluster is quite similar. The main directions that are needed for sustainable environmental development can be divided into three blocks.

The first block is the development of the water sector. The second block is the elimination of accumulated harm. And the third is the rational use of the resources that we have in these territories.

On the first block – water. Of course, the most important thing here is the construction and reconstruction of sewage treatment plants. Marat Shakirzyanovich said this in his report. In general, I would like to emphasize that in urban development projects, in plans for the development of agglomerations, in no case should we forget about municipal infrastructure. It is important for us: the water supply and sanitation system should be provided for any construction, any major repairs.

Also, when planning a new economic activity, it is important to take into account the reserves of underground drinking and industrial water. We maintain their state balance, our Ministry. Currently, the Azov-Black Sea region produces a little less than 3 million cubic meters per day, with reserves of 11.5 million cubic meters taken into account. Of course, there is potential, but reserves are unevenly distributed across the regions. It should be taken into account that in some areas there is a surplus, and in some – a shortage. It is also very important to have this balance in the construction process and in the plans discussed here.

In addition, do not forget about the rich reserves of mineral water. Now only 4 percent of the total balance is extracted, and those undeveloped deposits may well become the basis for the development of old and opening of new sanatoriums, including on the seashore.

By the way, I would like to say that at the end of last year we adopted a federal law that connects people's recreation on the beach with activities that are conducted on the water. Priority was given to land, and by March next year, the authorities of coastal settlements must approve the rules and boundaries for the use of water bodies for recreational purposes, that is, synchronize classes on the beach with classes on the water in order to avoid such situations as we had. On the example of Gelendzhik: on the shore – a children's camp, and on the water at this time – a boat park, and, accordingly, it is not interconnected in any way.

Another important task in the water block is the clearing of riverbeds. In the Crimea, Rostov region, DPR and LPR, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions, almost 150 kilometers of riverbeds have been restored in five years, and another 16 kilometers will be cleared this year in the Krasnodar Territory, Rostov Region and the Republic of Adygea.

We build and repair hydraulic structures on rivers. They are needed to protect people from river floods and floods. In the next three years, we will bring about 16 engineering facilities to a safe state in seven regions. This is a plus to the nine that were previously made.

We can now see that the issues raised by the heads of our regions are, of course, hydroelectric facilities at sea, which is also very important, and we need to build them. The tasks have been set, and we will work out them together with our colleagues from the Ministry of Construction.

Now, on your instructions, Mr President, we are working on the creation of a joint federal water project, as you mentioned in your last Message. It will include the rehabilitation of all major rivers in the country, including the Don and Kuban.

The second direction is the elimination of objects of accumulated harm. We are already doing similar work in the regions: 117 abandoned wells were eliminated in the Krasnodar Territory, three unauthorized landfills were reclaimed in the cities of Sudak, Belogorsk and Sevastopol, and almost 600 thousand people lived near them. By the end of the year, we will remove ten more landfills: in Rostov-on-Don, Taganrog, Tsimlyansk, Donetsk, Novocherkassk, Krasnodar, Gelendzhik, Slavyansk-on-Kuban, Goryachy Klyuch, Sevastopol. And this will improve the quality of life for 2 million people.

Currently, design and estimate documentation is being prepared for the elimination of hazardous facilities – the burial grounds of the Gorlovka Chemical Plant in the Donetsk People's Republic and the industrial waste landfill near Volcheyarovka in the Luhansk region. The landfill was operated since the late 60s of the last century, it accumulated over 900 tons of various waste, underground water is polluted with salts, chlorides and nitrogen compounds. And in the stage of concluding contracts, the development of POI for the elimination of four landfills and old sewage treatment plants in Zaporozhye and Kherson regions.

We work with our partner, the Federal Environmental Operator, on all contracts. This is a departmental institution of Rosatom, which was created specifically for the development of these competencies. Many thanks to our colleagues for helping us.

Now we are taking inventory of objects all over the country in terms of their impact on nature and human health. In nine regions, Rospotrebnadzor and Rosprirodnadzor have already evaluated 53 such facilities. Another 16 will be examined before the end of the year, and all these objects will be included in the State Register of Objects of Accumulated Damage, and we will prioritize them to eliminate the most dangerous landfills and accumulated damage due to "colored" payments. I can clearly tell you that now, as part of this inventory, we have seen such an object as the sludge storage facility of the Saki Chemical Plant in Crimea, which suggests that this should be done right now, you can not wait for anything and spend money on it. Because there and the lakes are polluted, and it is located in the area of Cape Krasny. The head of the region will confirm this.

We are developing comprehensive management of municipal solid waste. In order for the regions to achieve the national goal and reduce landfills twice, they must have waste sorting and processing plants. The total capacity of the regions ' plans is 6 million tons of processing and 3 million tons of recycling. This is taking into account the outgoing capacity, when depreciation comes. The demand takes into account the current tourist flow, and, of course, with its multiple growth, our colleagues from the regions will have to adjust their territorial schemes, according to which the capacity of future facilities is calculated. This is important to take into account in the strategy that will be accepted.

According to the law, the regions are responsible for creating capacities, but we help some of them and have allocated funding for design and construction. Three complex facilities will be built in Crimea, and one each in the DPR, LPR, Kherson and Zaporizhia is being designed.

We also helped the regions to purchase almost 300 cars and 20 thousand containers for organizing garbage collection, so that these territories, which are very important for development, as discussed here, from the point of view of tourism, are cleaned and not polluted.

The third. Rational use of natural resources. The most wooded region is the Krasnodar Territory, which accounts for almost half of the forest fund of the Azov-Black Sea macro-region, which is over 1 million hectares. Least of all in Zaporozhye – 47 thousand. The forest is mainly protective, i.e. it performs water protection, sanitary and health functions.

Given the small areas and their protective status, the use of forests should be especially carefully monitored. Vladimir Vladimirovich, you were personally working on the issue in the Krasnodar Territory at that time, and you saw this problem, and then nine such documents were withdrawn, which were obtained for the development of some projects, which, unfortunately, and perhaps to the joy of the forest, were not confirmed.

Control of invasive pests. Insects almost destroyed boxwood groves in Sochi National Park and in the Caucasus Nature Reserve.

Since 2021, we have started the fight against invasive pests, in parallel, we are planting boxwood in the national park's forest districts, and we have a plan of approximately 5 thousand seedlings annually. So far, we are only talking about restoration, as well as for natural reproduction. We will need more than one decade – Colchis boxwood will begin to bloom in at least 30 years.

Of course, the Sochi National Park and the Caucasus Nature Reserve are one of the most popular specially protected natural areas in this macro – region. They account for a larger number of tourists – over 2 million people last year out of 2 million 600 thousand.

A total of 16 national parks and reserves of federal significance are located in the Azov-Black Sea basin. Now we are designing 11 more in the Donetsk and Luhansk Republics, in the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions. They will be created by the end of the year.

By the way, in the Azov-Black Sea protected areas, we work together with our children on certain shifts, and last year 351 children participated in expedition shifts in our reserves: in the Kavkazsky and Rostov Nature Reserves, in Utrish. This year we will multiply the number of such children by a thousand. In turn, 300 children from Donetsk, LPR, Kherson and Zaporozhye will visit the national parks of Valdai, Kislovodsk, Ugra, Pleshcheyevo Lake and Crimea. Last year there were 185 of them, and we set this bar for ourselves more.

Thanks for attention. The report is finished.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much.

The frenzied activity of a booming developing nation on territories awaiting such attention for hundreds of years. Many nations would enjoy the level of resources Russia has to develop long with the budget to fund the work. Readers should be noting how this is all being accomplished as it combines top→down and bottom→up planning and management teamwork: We just get to see the topside of the process. Also note that all this infrastructure development is state-driven. Also note that environmental clean-up is an integral part of the development structure, and that Russia has its own version of the Outlaw US Empire’s so-called Super-Fund that stands idle mostly due to lack of funding. I was very pleased to discover someone besides myself declaring people’s lives are priceless. And I’ll note once again why this is all being done: For the People. Why? Because Russia wants the best for its people. What sort of socio-political system does that imply/suggest? A communitarian system where the goal is for all to care for all, which is decidedly non-Western.

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