 Russian President Vladimir Putin |
Since he began his 4th tenure as Russian President a year ago, Putin has had to deal with hot international issues like Syria and Iran. But Russia is still constrained by the West economic sanctions which have made life in Russian more difficult. In last year’s address, Putin talked about the strides Russia would make at home and abroad. This year the Russian people expect more breakthroughs in socio-economic development and daily lives.
Focus on improving people’s lives
Opening his address, President Putin stressed on tasks of improving people’s lives, ensuring housing, maternity allowance, and health care in remote areas, and respecting human beings. Putin touted social contracts benefiting 9 million poor people as a way to reduce poverty. Russians should already be seeing improvements in their lives as a result of national projects implemented this year, Putin said.
Putin also talked about an investment of 260 million USD in building and renovating rural cultural houses, programs to send doctors and teachers to rural areas, and provide all schools with high-speed internet by 2021, and 150 billion USD spent on the fight against cancer.
Putin set an economic growth target of 3% by 2021 with priority given to raising productivity, increasing non-material exports, improving the business environment, removing economic barriers, and expanding human resource training. He said Russia hopes to become one of the world’s leaders in genetic and information technology.
Russia promotes dialogues, cooperation
Putin said that in its foreign policy Russia prioritizes dialogues and cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual respect. Russia will focus on improving ties with neighbors like Belarus and Ukraine and considers its relations with China, India, and Japan important directions. Putin said Russia wants to sign a peace treaty with Japan. He expressed his hope that the EU will take steps to restore normal bilateral economic and political ties.
Putin said Russia wants to build an equal, friendly and full relationship with the US and is ready to dialogue if the US wants to. But he described the ties with the US and defense capacity as Russia’s biggest challenge in the wake of the suspended Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
President Putin will face a lot of problems in his 4th tenure until 2024: improving people’s poor living conditions, boosting Russia’s economy, and easing tensions with the West.