Meeting with Governor of the Astrakhan Region Igor Babushkin

The Governor updated the President
on the region’s socioeconomic status. In his presentation, he said that as part
of the Education National Project, the region built seven schools and 18
kindergartens, and another five were expected to be completed by the end of the year. This effort eliminated waiting lists for children over 18 months old whose
parents want to enrol them in pre-school institutions. One third of the region’s population benefits from social support, receiving various benefits
and allocations. In 2023, 12 billion rubles went towards paying out these
disbursements. The region has been proactively working with the federal
Government to draft new national projects and align them with regional initiatives.
Igor Babushkin Babushkin IgorGovernor of Astrakhan Region went on to talk about
efforts to support special military operation participants and their families.
The region provides 59 measures of support, and has earmarked 2.2 billion
rubles for direct payments. It also sends humanitarian aid to combat units
under its supervision, along with hardware and unmanned aerial vehicles, while
school students write letters to the military personnel, which has also been an important factor. The Governor talked about his personal meetings with special
military operation participants, Vladimir Putin noted that the Governor probably did not have a problem connecting with the fighters considering his experience of serving in one of the combat units.
When asked by the President about
the challenges the region was facing, Igor Babushkin said that young people
tend to relocate from remote regions to the federal centre and major cities. To address this issue, the authorities have been creating the necessary conditions
to persuade young people that the region has significant strategic development
potential and can offer them the opportunities they need to unlock their talents.
The Governor also said that the Arkhangelsk Maritime Cadet Corps won the national contest among cadet corps
last year and received the Presidential Banner. The region has drafted a project to expand this institution. In this context, Igor Babushkin asked the President to instruct the Government to factor funding for this project into
the next budget cycle, and the President approved this initiative.
Vladimir Putin reminded the Governor
that the issue of relocating people from sub-standard housing remains urgent
for the region. Igor Babushkin elaborated on this matter and explained why the region was falling behind in its efforts to build blocks of flats.
The Volga-Caspian Canal was also discussed.
According to the Governor, cargo handling is on the rise, with expectations of handling five million tonnes through the Arkhangelsk
ports this year. This increase is largely attributed to the efforts to achieve
a navigable depth of 4.5 metres, as directed by the President.
The Governor also reported on fleet modernisation efforts, noting that
shipbuilding enterprises have secured work for the next two years, with a loan
portfolio of around 50 billion rubles. Additionally, eight dry cargo ships will
soon enter the Caspian Sea, and construction
is underway for a container cargo fleet and a dredging fleet.
Vladimir Putin mentioned that during his recent visit to Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev Aliyev IlhamPresident of Azerbaijan expressed
concern about the Caspian Sea becoming
shallow. He also spoke very positively about cooperation with the Astrakhan
Region. The head of state requested Igor Babushkin to prepare and send him a formal appeal, asking for a scientific analysis of the developments in the Volga and Caspian Sea region to determine the necessary actions to support the Caspian Sea. The President added that he would issue
corresponding instructions to the Government.
Igor Babushkin said that he would promptly prepare the report. The President requested that this be done as quickly as possible.
The Governor also noted that the Arkhangelsk Region represents Russia in the Caspian space, with efforts focused not only on economic, transport, and logistics
sectors but also on strengthening cultural and humanitarian ties.
Igor Babushkin noted that the 9th Caspian Media Forum was
recently held, attracting over a thousand participants. A classical art
festival is also underway, bringing together cultural figures and musicians
from across the Caspian region, with participants from Belarus and Uzbekistan joining as well. In September, the final of the Children of Russia Sing competition will take place
for the third time, gathering 400 finalists selected from over 10,000
participants. All the finalists will come together to form a single choir in the Astrakhan Kremlin.
In closing the meeting, Vladimir Putin emphasised to the Governor that
while some challenges are unavoidable, like the Caspian Sea’s shallowing or the desertification of pastures, others
require administrative and financial responses through appropriate measures.
Beyond the resettlement of residents from sub-standard housing, the President
highlighted the importance of focusing on regional and municipal roads. He
urged the Governor to stay focused on these issues and, if needed, to reach out
to the federal Government to ensure their alignment with relevant programmes.
Overall, the President acknowledged that the region
is developing steadily and at a good pace.