President Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, dear colleagues,
We have been giving a lot of attention to energy problems of late, to energy sector development issues, and not just because the winter has turned out cold this year. Many of us kept reiterating our plans for economic growth, but few, it seems, really believed that the Russian economy’s growth would actually measure up to these plans. Now we have the real threat on the horizon of shortages, above all electricity shortages, which could put a natural limit on the economy’s continued growth.
For this reason, I wanted to hear from you today clear proposals on the steps we can take to modernise the electricity sector – steps that would help create the conditions for attracting private capital to the sector, both Russian and foreign. I would like to hear clear proposals on how and by what means the state intends to maintain the necessary attention on the electricity network, hydroelectricity and nuclear energy. I would also like to hear your proposals on how the government plans to organise the investment process while at the same time maintaining and improving the current macroeconomic indicators.