Mr Putin visited major industrial plants in the Moscow Region’s town of Orekhovo-Zuevo. Accompanied by the region’s Governor Boris Gromov, he visited the artificial fur factory and the Demikhovsky engineering plant, which builds Russian electric trains of a new generation.
At the plant, Mr Putin chaired a meeting on the development of railway passenger transport. The meeting was attended by Railways Minister Nikolai Aksyonenko, Economics Minister Andrei Shapovalyants, heads of some railway networks and regional governors. The Acting President named the development of suburban railway passenger transport among the priority social tasks of executive authorities, especially because this type of transport is more popular with low- and middle-income groups of the population. He stressed the need for modernising the rolling stock as soon as possible so as to ensure the safety and quality of railway passenger transportation.
Travelling back to Moscow by electric train, Vladimir Putin talked with journalists. He said that the Russian authorities would give a tough response to the terrorists’ threats and they would not be intimidated by them. “If we fear them, the terrorists will feel their strength. They should be afraid, not us,” the Acting President said.
Mr Putin also told journalists that while in Orekhovo-Zuevo he discussed state development with Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov. They shared the opinion that it was necessary to improve some mechanisms of state power. “We have more common views with the Moscow Mayor than differences,” Mr Putin said.