At the beginning of the conversation, the President noted that, although the situation in the region is challenging, there are positive aspects related to development, and above all investment projects that are being implemented or planned in the Volgograd Region.
Andrei Bocharov said that one of the biggest and most promising projects is a road to bypass Volgograd, which will facilitate the unimpeded movement of people and goods to the south of the country. This significant project will create an opportunity to develop the Volgograd Region, logistics hubs and all southern Russia: the Astrakhan Region and the Rostov Region. It will ensure the seamless movement of goods from the Urals, the Volga region and Siberia to the southern and central parts of Russia.
Another project now underway is a planned centre of excellence for special steels and stainless steels in the Volgograd Region. The project is one of the most promising not only for the Volgograd Region, but also for the entire country.
Andrei Bocharov also mentioned a project for the deep processing of corn grain to produce a high-quality component for baby food, which was previously imported. The project will reach a full cycle within one year. Another major project, also in agriculture, has to do with meat and dairy cattle breeding: an about 11,000 head herd, including 4,000 dairy cattle. It will be implemented over the next three years.
They also mentioned notable projects in metallurgy, machine building, petrochemistry and chemistry.
The President and the Governor discussed at length the preparations for the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Stalingrad victory on February 2, 2023. Vladimir Putin promised support for this endeavour, noting that it is a grand and important event for the entire country, not just Volgograd.
The President and the governor also considered the key macroeconomic and social indicators of the region's performance. According to Andrei Bocharov, despite all current challenges, there is a positive trend in the main macroeconomic indicators; the gross regional product is growing. Responding to the President's remark about a slight decline in GRP over the past two years, the Governor said that, in particular, that had to do with the oil and gas sector, and was due to OPEC decisions to cut production. He added that the region's economy has grown more diversified since then, and so as the regional budget revenue. In recent years, there has been an increase in the region’s revenues and the consolidated budget.
The Governor also spoke about improvements in local healthcare, in particular, about a project to create a cutting-edge cancer treatment system throughout the Volgograd Region. The region has already established 14 outpatient cancer centres under this project. In addition, all of the region’s diagnostic centres and outpatient clinics will be connected to a digital network enabling real-time assessment of various cases and decision-making on further treatment – to continue helping the patient at the first level, or move them up to the second level or, if necessary, to the third level of medical care. Another option is support and rehabilitation.