The moderators at the forum included Deputy Secretary of the General Council of the United Russia party, State Duma deputy Yevgeny Revenko and volunteer, Deputy Chairman of the Committee of the Krasnoyarsk Territory Legislative Assembly on construction, housing and utilities Yelena Penzina.
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Yevgeny Revenko: Friends, President Vladimir Putin, the leader of our party, has joined us now.
Mr President, good afternoon.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, Yevgeny. Yelena, good afternoon.
I have listened closely to what Andrei [Gimbatov] has been saying just now. I enjoyed it. And his very last words, I would say those were the most important: when people do good, they enjoy it. This is the meaning of life in general, in a broader sense. When you help your friends or even people you may not know, but who need your support, you get satisfaction from this. It is one of the most important incentives and most important tools for any person’s self-realisation. So, Andrei, thank you.
Now that I have joined you, I would like to greet you all, friends. I would also like to greet Mr Medvedev, good afternoon. Good day to all the participants of the United Russia social online forum.
As I was saying, I would like to underscore once again that your work is greatly needed. I mean, not only this forum, but all the work you do in general. I would like to wish you continued progress with your work, that any initiatives that you come up with today as well will all be implemented. I would like to point out that this is extremely important.
It will be interesting to hear your proposals today, what you are discussing, what goals you set yourselves and what practical solutions you can suggest for the tasks facing the country.
I would like to say the following in this connection. I know that thousands of your party volunteers are delivering medications and foodstuffs, as it has just been said here. And they are using their own cars for this, making free deliveries to those who need them, including to medical personnel, and donating their personal funds to buy PCs for pupils who are studying remotely, and PPE, helping old and ailing people and those who have no relatives, and everyone for whom the current situation is especially difficult.
There is one more thing I would like to mention in this context. I believe that the everyday work, work with the people (Andrei, a member of a municipal council, spoke about it), which the country’s largest party has been doing during the past few months, is a suitable reason for reviewing your ranks so as to identify and give praise to those who did their best and who have proved to be reliable comrades and kind and warm-hearted people, not just social climbers, but hard-working people who are ready to help deal with the difficult tasks the country is facing. These people definitely constitute a powerful creative force across the country, one the party really needs. These people are the bedrock of the party’s successful future and its worthy representation in society and at all levels of power.
I would like to give the floor to Mr Medvedev now. I hope that you will speak later as well, and that I will have an opportunity to respond to the discussions that are being held at your forum.
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Vladimir Putin: Here is what I would like to say in conclusion of my part in this event. Unfortunately, I will have to move on to the other items on my agenda, I still have to have a number of international telephone conversations.
But this is what I would like to draw your attention to. The fact that United Russia has been very active in countering the difficulties faced by the country in countering the coronavirus is very important. What is said here, what is studied and being done is already extremely important for maintaining the prestige of the country’s leading political force.
The national economy, the defence capability of this country and the shape of its healthcare and education systems depend on the decisions of this party. Therefore, it bears special responsibility for the performance of the state. This is a very heavy load. But do you know how to buttress it? Through a sincere striving to do better for the country as a whole and for each individual. If this is done in the interests of an individual citizen, especially the person who lives next door, people really believe in the sincerity of the entire political force, in this case United Russia, in the sincerity of what it is doing for the national interest.
You are absolutely on the right track. I would like to sincerely wish you success. Thank you very much. All the best to you.
Yevgeny Revenko: Mr President, thank you for these words, for your support and your assessment of our work.