OREANDA-NEWS. November 08, 2011. Opening remarks by Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,

I know that you have already started working: I am told that you've had very heated roundtable discussions.

You represent an economic sector which plays a key role – and this is no exaggeration – and in fact a strategic role in Russia and its economic, social and regional development, and contributes to the comfort and the quality of life in Russia. Where there is a road, there is an opportunity to reach some destination. This means there is life and development in that area. Where there is no road, there is no life. We have just opened a section of a major highway near Novosibirsk. The governor tells me nearly all the land adjacent to the road has been bought up for retail or low-rise construction projects. Without this road, there would have been no life there.

The same is true for nearly all transport-related segments. Popular wisdom tells us that if transport is functioning efficiently and expanding, so does the country. New roads being built and ports expanded give confidence in the country's future. Transport development is certainly an issue that should be handled while looking decades ahead because transport projects have long life cycles. The public should be involved in dealing with it, as well as trade unions, experts, transport workers and, of course, consumers of transport services.

This conference certainly provides a perfect platform for this discussion.

The country's transport sector currently employs 3.3 million people who annually produce up to 6% of GDP. This is a great deal. I am confident that the role and importance of Russia's transport industry will continue to grow. First of all, we need higher living standards and better quality of life, a more comfortable environment in big cities and small towns. That is impossible to achieve without modern transport services, which include – and I would like to emphasise this – affordable public transport.

Second, our task is to provide the required infrastructure for rapid economic growth, development of new industrial centres and for extending economic operations to remote areas. Transport certainly plays a key role here.

Third, it is essential for the integration projects Russia is involved in. Our ultimate vision is to move from the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space to a Eurasian Union. We need a reliable transport framework for this broad supranational association.

Finally, Russia's transport industry is bound to change, mainly through upgraded equipment and improved effectiveness. It should become a successful and competitive sector providing well-paid and prestigious jobs.