Vasily Golubev told the President about the situation in the region, in part, in the context of the special military operation (the Rostov Region borders on the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics) and emphasised that the region remains normal and stable.
The region has established interregional headquarters and 10 sectoral headquarters. Overall, over 3.5 million people have crossed the border into Russia. The region’s authorities have worked with these people since 2014, organising transit to other regions of the country.
It is very important to ensure security, support the families of the mobilised and military personnel and cooperate with the Defence Ministry because of logistics, the roads that pass through the region and other issues.
The President signed an executive order making the region the operator on implementing the project #WeAreTogether with Donbass. The region has established a big centre. The entire country is taking part in this project.
Vladimir Putin suggested discussing the current problems of the Rostov Region and said he has read letters from the region about an international class campus, medicine and other issues.
Vasily Golubev started by talking about a hospital in Taganrog, the region’s second largest city. It is the closest city to the Donetsk People’s Republic. The main part of the hospital provides healthcare both to its own residents and to people from the DPR. But the hospital building, built in 1975, is in a bad shape and needs renovation and expansion. The Governor asked the President to support him on this issue.
His second request for support concerned the mining territories, which are inhabited by about 700,000 people. The infrastructure there was built in the 1950s. Now, some 80 percent of the water distribution system needs repair and replacement.
The next issue that needs support is the development of Don State Technical University, the organiser of the Southern Research and Education Centre that includes the Volgograd Region and the Krasnodar Territory. The Governor noted that in general, the Rostov Region is a land of students. About 200,000 students are receiving higher, vocational and technical education there.
Mr Golubev also mentioned another problem that requires support – the lack of a bypass canal on the Kochetovsky water system. This is needed for the fish that come to spawn in the Don River from the Sea of Azov.
The Governor told the President about individual projects, such as the ring motorway around Rostov, the development of the land at the former Rostov Airport, and the completion of three new plants for tractor, transmission, and agricultural and utility equipment manufacturing. He also mentioned high yields in agriculture and asked the President to support his request to give state awards to agrarians.
The President said that overall, the situation in the region was stable and the economy was making steady headway. However, he said a number of questions require additional attention from the Governor, such as the shortage of doctors and issues related to the arts and sports – in general, to the humanitarian area in the broad sense of the word. The President noted with regret that in many areas of Donbass, next to the Rostov Region, people cannot fully engage in these activities. It is necessary to help them live a full life as much as possible under the current conditions. The President talked about the general humanitarian area including sports, arts and science. He promised additional assistance for this area from the federal centre if necessary.
The President also noted that the Rostov Region shouldered an additional burden due to the events taking place in the neighbouring areas and thanked the Governor for helping people who came from there and for supporting military personnel of all categories and their family members.
The President said the requests on the problematic issues mentioned by the Governor would be sent to the related departments and promised to support the Governor’s proposal for state awards to the agrarians that showed good, if not great results during the past year.