Mikhail Mishustin meets with members of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation faction in the State Duma

RUSSIA, March 25 - The meeting was held as part of preparations for the Government’s annual report in the State Duma.

Mikhail Mishustin’s opening remarks:

Mr Zyuganov, colleagues,

I would like to start our meeting by saying a few words about the tragedy that happened last Friday at Crocus City Hall in the Moscow Region.

Again, I convey my deepest condolences to the families and friends of those killed in this monstrous terrorist attack. We mourn for each of them.

(Moment of silence.)

Please be seated.

The investigation is underway now. Those responsible will be punished. They deserve no mercy.

Our main concern today is for the victims of this crime, the patients being treated in medical facilities, the relatives visiting their loved ones, and the families of the deceased, who will, of course, need assistance, both psychological and material.

In line with the Presidential instruction, my colleagues in the Government – Tatyana Golikova, Alexander Kurenkov and Mikhail Murashko, as well as the Government Office – stepped in quickly and continue to monitor the situation while keeping the President up to date.

Colleagues, of course we were all shocked by these events. It is important for help to arrive as soon as possible in such days of mourning.

I would like to say special thanks to the doctors, fire fighters, rescue workers and police officers that detained the criminals responsible for this tragedy without delay, hot on the trail. And, of course, I would like to thank everyone who took matters into their own hands, real heroes who led people out of the building and defended those around them from the terrorists, as well as those who came to donation sites, who donated blood.

Your courage and resilience are the surest proof that grief is shared in our country.

Thank you very much!

I am convinced that no terrorists can intimidate a country where such people live.

Our direct duty is to do all we can for their wellbeing and for Russia’s development. We will talk about this in more detail.

Colleagues,

Today, we are starting traditional consultations with State Duma deputies on the eve of the Government’s report in the State Duma.

I consider these discussions extremely important. The ideas and proposals voiced during our dialogue allow us to consistently and systematically upgrade the quality of our decisions.

The President also recently recalled the importance of maintaining a constructive approach to the issues of Russia’s development.

This is exactly how the cooperation between the Government and the Duma is organised. It takes place in the most diverse formats – sessions of relevant committees, working groups on the most important issues, parliamentary hearings on different sectors, and Government Hours with the participation of ministries and departments, including my deputies.

I would like to thank you for your effective cooperation on a very broad range of issues. Your parliamentary party has many competent specialists in various areas, especially agriculture.

The State Duma Committee on Agrarian Issues headed by Vladimir Kashin is doing a good job in cooperation with the corresponding ministry, including the drafting of key documents for strategic development and amendment to current regulations.

I would like to make special mention of amendments to the law on domestic seed breeding, which were adopted with the support of your parliamentary party last year. The President set us the task in the Food Security Doctrine to raise self-sufficiency in domestically bred seeds to 75 percent.

The improved regulations on creating special seed breeding zones will help us put things in order in this area and ensure that various crops are spatially isolated on specific territories.

Budget allocations to farmers in the new regions are another important decision. Working in very difficult conditions there, people are achieving good results. We will continue helping them. I would like to thank your deputies for their proactive position.

Mr Zyuganov, I know well your attitude and that of Mr Kolomeitsev and other colleagues in your parliamentary party to the issues affecting the machine tool industry. Your parliamentary party raised this subject last year as well. Lawmakers from the CPRF are making thoughtful proposals on developing the domestic industry, enhancing Russia’s technological sovereignty and actively facilitating the drafting of our initiatives.

This was the case, for instance, during the adoption of amendments made by the cabinet of ministers to the law on industrial policy. They suggested creating a register of Russian industrial products, which will make it possible to support domestic producers, build up the number of technological operations in the country and increase the share of Russian components in manufactured goods.

I think today we will also discuss how to help our companies become even stronger and more effective and rely on our own R&D and domestic solutions.

Your parliamentary party is doing much in the social sector. Together with your MPs, we created a firm legal foundation for the defenders that are taking part in the special military operation, and their families and friends.

I would also like to thank you for your proposals on the status of families with many children. They were reflected in the President’s executive order and the Government’s decisions.

The Committee of the State Duma on Family Protection, headed by Nina Ostanina has done a big job. They worked with the Ministries of Education and Labour. It is, of course, necessary to preserve such cooperation between departments and MPs in the future.

We also appreciate the position of the State Duma Committee on Issues of the Commonwealth of Independent States and Contacts with Fellow Countrymen headed by Leonid Kalashnikov.

It is very important and necessary to join efforts on this track with a view to developing humanitarian cooperation with friendly states. This is one of the six goals set by the President. This is important for future generations and for mutual understanding with our closest foreign partners in this difficult time.

I am sure that our current meeting will be productive as well.