OREANDA-NEWS. November 24, 2011. Transcript of the beginning of the meeting:

Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Yesterday I thanked all of the deputies of the State Duma on behalf of the Russian government for working jointly with us in the past four years. Today, I’d like to discuss the results of work of the United Russia parliamentary party in the State Duma and further plans for the country and parliament. I hope that you will conduct an effective election campaign, telling the electorate about your achievements and future plans, convincing the overwhelming majority of the voters that you have chosen the correct path, and by so doing win the necessary number of State Duma seats to be able to continue your work.

The past four years were not an easy period, as we, the country and the rest of the world know. It was a difficult period for all countries, including Russia. Yet, we have largely overcome the global financial and economic crises with the smallest possible damage. I have said so before, but I believe that I should say it again at this meeting. We have overcome the crises with the least possible damage because we were able to take decisions promptly and rely on the United Russia majority in the State Duma to support the financial sector and entire industries – in particular, aviation, shipbuilding, automotive industry, mechanical engineering and coal production. In other words, we took practical decisions bearing on these industries and we did it quickly and effectively. Of course, there were many problems concerned with direct assistance to the people, notably the labour market, jobs for the people, employment. Many decisions have been taken in this sphere, including to increase relevant payments, to create funds in the regions and to offer people various [social] jobs. I’d like to say it once again – some things must be done as soon as possible.

When I spoke in the State Duma yesterday, I said that many ideas were born during disputes in the State Duma itself, but I think that it would be expedient to explain how this is done, which you know better than anyone else. Even while we were discussing these issues with you – at meetings between government agencies and the United Russia parliamentary party in the State Duma – the debate never stopped in the State Duma about what should be done and how and when it should be done, what tools can be used and how the problem can be resolved in the best possible way. It was a natural, vigorous process. The thing that especially pleases me and that has benefited us is that both the government agencies and the United Russia faction in the State Duma certainly wanted the best for the people. I don’t think that they have achieved the best results in all of their undertakings, but their efforts can be assessed on the whole as satisfactory. I would like to thank you for this.

It is especially important in this connection – and I would like to highlight this – that these decisions helped us to make choices and find solutions to a number of social issues, some of which have been accomplished and others of which will be accomplished soon. The following are the tasks that we have fulfilled. We have discussed this and the people know about it. We have increased pensions 45% by a single decision, ensured retirement pension valorisation, and recalculated pensions earned during the Soviet period – and all of this was done with direct assistance from you.

The decisions that we took jointly with you had been thoroughly analysed from the economic angle. This allowed us to take decisions that will come into effect on January 1, 2012, such as a substantial increase in military payments and pensions. The decisions that we drafted and that you adopted will allow us to take the necessary steps in the social sphere. I am especially grateful to you for this.

This is what I’d like to point out and what will be important to us now and later. By taking these decisions, we have not pushed ourselves and the country into a debt trap. We see what is happening in many Western European countries. New large-scale social protests are continuing in Portugal and Greece.