The Governor began his report by highlighting several key benchmarks. The first one concerned the people and growing life expectancy. In five years, it has increased by three years and reached 71.5 years. The birth rate in the region is higher than the national average. The mortality rate is about the national average, but has also decreased. This is the result of, among other things, improvements in the healthcare system, involving people in sports, and other systematic work. In particular, the first phase of Kamchatka Territory Hospital is ready for commissioning; 440 pieces of high-tech equipment have been purchased. Funds have been set aside for the second phase of construction, which end in 2027. A children’s hospital is planned to be built on the same site.
According to Vladimir Solodov, the economic results are quite good. The gross regional product has grown by 50 percent in five years. He noted the construction of a greenhouse complex, a project to build a large facility for Bystrinskaya Mining Company which is a high-tech gold mining plant, and continued development of the fishery complex. A major investment programme has been implemented in this sphere, with the construction of 12 factories and eight vessels now complete. For the first time, Kamchatka began to build its own fishing fleet. Tax proceeds for aquatic biological resources are on the rise.
Vladimir Solodov also touched upon the topic of tourism, citing the Three Volcanoes flagship project. A mountain village located within a 90-minute drive from the airport will have 1,500 guest rooms. Roads and overhead power lines are being built. The hotel sits in central Petropavlovsk. The construction of the international airport is now complete. It will to serve 1.5 million passengers during the first phase, with the prospect of increasing the capacity to four or five million passengers. From April 1, all flights will be transferred to the new airport complex, which will also house a hotel and a congress and exhibition centre. The Governor invited the President to attend the opening ceremony.
They also discussed the development of the road infrastructure, the construction of three new runways at the airports, and the creation of overland internet fiber infrastructure. Already 1,200 kilometres have been laid. According to the Governor, next year the infrastructure will reach the northernmost regions and move farther to Chukotka together with this neighbouring region.
According to Solodov, the energy sector remains a long-standing unresolved issue. In 2027, the region should rid itself of dependence on fuel oil which is a huge expenditure item: one third of the Kamchatka Territory budget is currently spent on subsidising the energy sector. As instructed by the President, the construction of a regasification complex is underway. The coastal infrastructure will be completed in 2026. The main thing is to replace fuel oil at the Kamchatka CHPP, and later it will be possible to switch to natural gas. The Governor also named renewable energy as a priority. In addition to the existing geothermal station, Zarubezhneft and RusHydro will jointly implement first a binary cycle, which will improve the efficiency of generation, and then the second phase of the station.
Solodov also noted that a lot of attention was paid to research. Unique special programmes on Kamchatka have been adopted at the level of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. He also thanked the President for the decision to build a campus in central Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. In 2028–2029, the university and the city will receive a huge impetus to development. Business, such as Sber, whose head German Gref has attracted the best architects to help design the community centre, is actively involved in the city centre improvements. It is planned to create a Museum of Kamchatka focusing on military glory and heroic events of the past.
As for construction, the Governor put an emphasis on affordable rental housing programme, since it enjoys high demand. The keys to the first 80 flats have already been issued to owners. The President noted that the region still faced a problem of resettling dwellers of dilapidated houses. The Governor clarified the specifics of this problem in the region and updated the President on what is being done to overcome it.
The head of the region also spoke about a comprehensive regional support programme for participants in the special military operation and their families, including the provision of land plots. Already 107 land plots have been provided, and 13 more are in the pipeline. The Governor considers it his goal to provide them with the opportunity to build their own houses, including with the help of the Far Eastern mortgage mechanism and infrastructure support. He also sent greetings to the President from the 40th Marine Brigade, with whom he had a telephone call the day before, and called them real heroes.
In conclusion, Solodov noted that his term of office as governor expires in September 2025 and said that he was ready to work anywhere, but asked the President to support his nomination for a second term, because much remains to be done and to see to completion. Of course, all of the above will be done with the support of the people, he said.
President Putin emphasised that the most important thing was to support the people, noting that the Governor was doing well overall, and wished him good luck.