The President hosted an off-site meeting of the State Council Presidium devoted to developing and modernizing Russia's transport system.
As he opened the meeting the head of state emphasized that advanced transport infrastructure has strategic significance for economic growth and will help Russia embark on innovative development strategies.
The head of state also noted that despite the increased amounts of funding that the state has allocated to modernizing transport infrastructure, capital investments from private investors must complement these budgetary funds. And this public-private partnership must be attractive and beneficial not only for the state but also for those investing their personal funds.
Earlier in the day the head of state visited part of a highway that is being built around Krasnoyarsk. This highway is within the new Baikal highway that starts at Cheliabinsk and goes through Omsk, Novosibirsk, Kemerovo and the Krasnoyarsk Region. The President also conversed with construction workers building the highway.
One other item on the President's agenda in Krasnoyarsk was the meeting with teachers and students of the Siberian and Southern Federal universities.
As part of the national project Education, two new major universities were created in 2006 from a number of existing universities in the Siberian and Southern Federal Districts. These new universities will train personnel for major innovative projects and train academics capable of developing modern technologies. The projects designed to develop the universities provide for academic research centres which will allow students to learn practical skills. These centres have modern laboratory facilities at their disposal. It is planned that the federal universities will act as centres for the qualitative renewal and development of academia and the regions' economies thanks to the influx of highly qualified young professionals.
The Siberian Federal University was established in January 2006 by merging the Krasnoyarsk State University, Krasnoyarsk State Technical University, Krasnoyarsk Architectural Academy, and the State University of Non-Ferrous Metals and Gold.
The university includes more than 30 academic innovation units, including academic research institutes, design bureaus, academic educational and innovative centres, laboratories and pilot production facilities. The newest kinds of innovative educational technology, including e-learning, are being introduced into the university.
As he opened the meeting with teachers and students of the Siberian and Southern Federal universities, Vladimir Putin noted that major federal educational and production associations are being created in order to attain the necessary international level of scientific development and professional training.
The Governor of the Krasnoyarsk Region, Aleksandr Khloponin, talked about the social and economic situation in the region.