Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko Informs Putin About Demographic Crisis and Related Issues

V. Putin: Valentina Ivanovna, good afternoon!

You passed over 300 federal laws during this session, as I can see from the documents.

V. Matvienko: Yes, Vladimir Vladimirovich, in seven months. The session was quite intense and dynamic, but we worked normally and implemented all the plans we had set to achieve the national development goals that you approved, as well as your other instructions, including those you gave at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum.

It is important to note that more than a third of the more than 300 laws are social laws aimed at providing social support to citizens. In accordance with the established procedure, senators have developed and submitted 130 additional bills. All of these bills, Vladimir Vladimirovich, are a response to the requests of the heads of the constituent entities and our citizens. Some of these bills have already become laws.

If we look purely at the statistics, the senators are in the top three in terms of the number of legislative initiatives submitted. This is a noticeable increase in recent times.

The most important topic, as I wanted to report to you, Vladimir Vladimirovich, is demography, which has been a priority for us. You have identified it as a strategic issue, and this is indeed the case. I would like to objectively confirm that the measures taken on your behalf are already yielding results. I can honestly say that the atmosphere in society towards families, children, and family values is changing for the better.

According to the results of last year, the birth rate increased in 18 regions, and the number of large families is also increasing. Over the past year, which is particularly encouraging, the number of student families has doubled, and half of them are already families with children. This is a response to the support measures that were developed by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, and those measures [according to which] higher education institutions have created conditions for student families with children.

You know, among higher education institutions, there is already a competition to see who has more families with children. [Excellent!] We held the II Festival of Young Student Families at Moscow State University with the support of the esteemed Rector [Viktor Sadovnichy]. And you know, it’s impossible to describe this atmosphere with words; you have to experience it firsthand. As you mentioned, these festivals have set the trend for families and children.

In addition, the number of social orphans decreased by 17 percent last year. Speaking generally about the atmosphere that is improving, the number of children whose parents have either been deprived or limited in their parental rights has decreased by 25 percent. The number of children in orphanages has also decreased. [This is a critical social indicator linked to societal wellbeing.]

What is also encouraging is that the number of abortions has been steadily decreasing over the past two years, with a decrease of more than 11 percent to almost 12 percent over the past two years. For example, the most positive result is that the number of abortions in the Vologda Region has decreased by 45 percent. This is also a result of the measures taken by the regional government. These are all facts.

I won’t go any further. I regularly report to you on the situation with demographics. I know that you keep this under your personal control. At the end of May, we held a meeting of the Presidential Council on Demographics. You know, it was a very interesting and creative discussion, with many new proposals. The members of the Council were actively involved in the work. We have prepared and sent you a number of proposals based on the discussions at the Council, and we are waiting for your new instructions, which are currently under consideration.

But you know what is good, Vladimir Vladimirovich, not on paper, but in reality? The whole world has joined the demographic agenda. This includes regions, authorities at all levels – regional and municipal authorities, ministries, government agencies – all of which have sectoral programmes. [This is precisely the level of response Putin hoped for, and Russia badly needed.]

Business has been actively involved, unexpectedly actively. We have already referred to it as the “club of demographic millionaires.” Approximately 200 companies have adopted the “golden corporate standard” and are paying 1 million rubles and more for the birth of each child of their employees. These companies have also implemented various social programs, including childcare facilities, flexible work schedules for women, and more. These corporate standards are not imposed; they are voluntary responses to the importance of their businesses’ future. Public institutions, including the Popular Front and non-governmental organizations, have been very active. I think we should continue to keep this topic afloat, so that everyone can understand its importance. [Large corporate involvement in societal promotion was mandatory during the Soviet Age. Its very abrupt discontinuation in the 1990s generated a holocaust. Business learned such support was in their interests and with prodding by Putin has steadily increased. It’s tospy-turvy to imagine a people friendly Capitalism.]

Of course, one of our traditional priorities is to support participants, veterans of the special military operation, and their families.

I would like to thank you for your Decree, dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, which is aimed at ensuring equal support for the participants of the special operation and their families in all regions of our country. This was an expected decision. During this session alone, we have approved about 50 laws related to the overall goals of the special operation, and since 2022, we have reviewed and approved over 400 laws, including more than 160 measures to provide social support for our heroes, such as assistance with education, employment, and more.

You know, it would seem that so many laws have already been passed, and we can stop there. They may be more targeted now, but they don’t lose their importance, because even the small issues that haven’t been taken into account (raised by the participants of the special military operation, with whom we are in constant dialogue) are important to clarify and adjust to ensure that all social rights are reached by every hero in every location.

Another topic that you supported at the time is the Council of the Federation’s focus on modernizing the infrastructure for children’s recreation and health improvement. In just four years of implementing this program, 336 new residential buildings have been constructed in 70 regions using the limited funds allocated to the federal budget for support. Additionally, the infrastructure has been extensively renovated, including kitchens, medical facilities, and other amenities, providing opportunities for over 200,000 children to receive annual health care. First of all, these are the same children of participants – heroes of a special military operation, children of doctors, teachers, [from] large families. And we will continue to do so. And as you instructed, the Government responded: 2 billion a year is allocated, and the rest is added by the regions. But the main thing is that we are restoring the previously lost database.

During the session, a number of traditional days of the Federation’s constituent entities were held. We have introduced the practice of “Open Dialogue with the Minister,” where senators gather and engage in an open and interested dialogue, as well as government hours.

The Council for the Integration of the Reunited Regions, which was established under the Federation Council, is actively working. The federal laws are all good. You have set the goal of ensuring that the residents of all the reunited regions live according to all-Russian standards by 2030. However, in practice, there are some issues that have not been taken into account in the law, such as regulations or simply some problems that arise. We are holding a council with the participation of the leaders of Donbass and Novorossiya, and we are discussing what needs to be completed in practice, as this is an interdepartmental issue involving members of the government. This council is very useful, as the governors of all the newly reunited regions have stated. In some cases, legislation needs to be clarified, and in others, deadlines need to be adjusted. The council is developing this practice, and we are implementing it.

But the Federation Council, as you know, is not only a legislative body, but also a representative body of government, and we are trying to introduce new formats and work in different areas. For example, we held a broad dialogue with cultural figures, artists and directors of regional theaters. They raised many vital questions. We solve them all. We never have a meeting [just] held. We work out and finish it.

You know, what didn’t surprise me pleasantly, but confirmed it, is that everyone has a very correct, patriotic attitude. This is reflected in their work. We even raised the issue: we want to go on a concert or performance tour to our participants in the special military operation, but we don’t know where to turn. We worked with the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Defense to create a “one-stop shop” to support this initiative and ensure that they can travel there.

The Russian-Belarusian Regions Forum in Minsk was very successful and productive, with a large number of agreements signed. Thank you and Alexander Grigoryevich for your greetings. Our regions have become very close friends in the broadest sense of the word. Vladimir Vladimirovich, there are many joint projects, joint products, and so on, as you know well.

The forum is the platform where we held the Memory Train event for the fifth time this year, when high school students from all the CIS countries, including Ukraine, Moldova, and all the former Soviet republics, as well as this year from the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition, which includes 20 states, traveled through Russia and Belarus for 15 days to visit places of military and labor glory.

You know, they come back as different people, as if they are being “vaccinated” against all manifestations of neo-Nazism. And most importantly, it is the historical truth. You can read a book or watch a movie. But when you see it all, that emotion is everything. A very successful project. Thank you to [Oleg] Belozerov and Russian Railways, who actively support him. For them, this is also, you know, for the soul, as they say, a project.

In the Year of Peoples’ Unity, we have already held the II Forum of Women of the North. Vladimir Vladimirovich, believe me, everything is held together by women: they are so active, so creative, and so business-oriented. All the indigenous peoples were represented. You issued a Decree and established a new holiday, the Day of Indigenous Peoples, which we celebrated for the first time this year. Following the first Forum, we adopted a number of very important laws for the indigenous peoples at the initiative of the Federation Council.

For example, the professional standard “Animal Breeder” includes a new profession, “Nomadic Dwelling Worker.” This decision officially recognizes the hard work of female nomads and provides them with the same pension rights as other workers in the Far North. This law has been positively received by our citizens who lead a nomadic lifestyle. The law on nomadic education, for example, is also a long-awaited law, as they have mentioned, as well as several other laws. What is also encouraging is that several women spoke at the forum, and there is a trend towards specialists, doctors, and teachers moving to the regions of the Far East and the North. In general, this trend should be supported in every possible way.

Now, one of the important tasks that you gave us is to support and preserve folk art crafts. You know, this is the code of our culture, our traditions, and so on. The Federation Council has taken this issue under its wing as the Chamber of Regions. I would like to thank the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and Minister [Anton] Alikhanov in particular, for their support. First of all, we have developed and implemented systemic measures to support folk art crafts, rather than just focusing on specific projects.

Also, your Decree established the Day of folk arts and crafts. This year, the Government, on our joint initiative, established a national award for craftsmen and enterprises of folk arts and crafts. This year, we presented it for the first time. Artists, craftsmen – for them, this was a really big event. This is legal regulation and financial support. The Government increases such financial support every year, this year it is already more than 1 billion rubles, for craftsmen this is good support. There is also a response, at the end of last year, 9 percent was the growth of this industry. This, of course, is not the limit. I am sure that it will increase every year.

We have now agreed with the Government that we will create a personnel programme in the field of folk art crafts, so that as many young people as possible are involved, so that master craftsmen can pass on their skills, so that our folk art crafts do not disappear, but rather develop. By the way, business has also taken the initiative and is investing, understanding the importance and prospects of this area.

Vladimir Vladimirovich, of course, as the Chamber of Regions, together with the Ministry of Finance, we are in contact with the governors and heads of regional parliaments, and we are monitoring the state of regional budgets.

I would like to thank you for the decision you have made, which was a very good and timely support for the regions – to postpone the repayment of budget loans to 2030. The situation is under the control of the Ministry of Finance, it is difficult, but there is no panic, there is a normal working regime.

Our international relations have been developing very actively. In fact, there have even been more of them. This year, we have held 77 meetings with our foreign parliamentary colleagues in various formats. And these are not just meetings with CIS countries; our Interparliamentary Assembly is actively working.

We held a very good joint Inter-Parliamentary Commission with China, and the Chairman of the Parliament came.

This includes South Africa, Indonesia, Mozambique, and many others. Recently, the President of the South African Senate visited us, and it was a very productive visit.

In general, I would like to express my sincere gratitude, Vladimir Vladimirovich, for your attention to the work of the Federation Council, the Chamber of Regions, and the regions in general, and for the support you always provide for the constructive initiatives that we are trying to introduce.

Thank you very much.

V. Putin: Valentina Ivanovna, I would like to thank you, on my part, and all the senators, members of the Federation Council, for their active work. It is not just that more than 300 laws, including two constitutional laws, have been approved, but also that the senators are actively engaged in the legislative process, as you have already mentioned, and are taking legislative initiatives and addressing the fundamental issues that shape our existence and the challenges our country faces.

Of course, the demographics and support for our military units and their families on the battlefield are extremely important. This is one of the most crucial tasks for all branches of government. I have been talking about this all the time, and I hope that the Federation Council, as the upper house that represents the interests of the regions, and we have many units that are directly formed from the military districts, which are regions of the Russian Federation, and all the government bodies, should do their part to support our soldiers and their families. However, this is a huge undertaking that involves a large number of people. We need to do everything we can to ensure that our soldiers don’t need anything and that their families feel supported by the government. As with any major endeavor, there are challenges and injustices that arise. We need to respond promptly, work with the “Defenders of the Fatherland” foundation, and pay attention to every detail, recognizing that there are no small issues in this context.

And of course, all the other topics that you have just mentioned are extremely important. These include support for the industry and individual sectors of production, as well as social issues, which you have already mentioned. I will not repeat myself, but I will say that Russia has never closed itself off from anyone and does not intend to do so. Our contacts with friendly countries and their respective authorities are extremely important.

Finally, on September 20, elections will be held in many regional authorities in the Russian Federation. This, in turn, will have an impact on the composition of the Federation Council. There are representatives from both the representative and executive branches of regional authorities. I believe that this is also a very important process, given that the Federation Council is being updated. I assume that the Federation Council will be staffed by experienced people who are focused on achieving a common goal: the development of Russia, providing assistance to our citizens where it is needed, and achieving national development goals.

Thank you very much for this work.

V. Matviyenko: Vladimir Vladimirovich, if you allow me, as far as the elections are concerned, our political system is such that on the Single Voting Day, 20 to 30 percent of senators are replaced, and this is very good. That is, fresh blood is being poured in, new people are coming in, with a fresh perspective, from the ground. We are very carefully and attentively monitoring that the representatives of the regions are worthy and so on.

V. Putin: I hope so. I am sure.

V. Matvienko: Thank you. [My Emphasis]