Vladimir Putin's 14th State of Nation Address to Federal Assembly

Russian President Vladimir Putin is delivering his annual State of the Nation Address to the Federal Assembly today.

At first, Putin called this address epoch-making, explaining that Russia has managed to get through new challenges in economics and social sphere, ensuring the unity of the country.

The head of state believes it is necessary to make a breakthrough in ensuring people's well-being and preserving the Russian nation. "It is not just natural resources and production capacities that determine the role and position of this or that country, first of all it is people - conditions for their development, their self-fulfillment," Putin said in his State of the Nation Address. "That is why preservation of the Russian nation and well-being of our nationals is the basis of all, and it is on this trajectory that we must make a breakthrough."

Vladimir Putin said that among the key directions of Russia's domestic policy should be to cut poverty in half within six years, increase the financing of maternal welfare and young families. "We must solve one of the key tasks for the coming decade - to ensure a confident, long-term growth of real incomes of our citizens, and in six years, at least to halve the level of poverty," Putin said.

According to Putin, the entire system of social assistance should be based "on the principles of fairness and targeting." "It should be provided to the citizens, families that really need it," he added.

It is necessary to secure stable population growth in the next 10 years, according to the president. "In 2017, the working-age population reduced by almost 1 mln. This downward trend will continue in the next years, which may considerably restrict the economic growth, as there are just no labor forces. It is necessary to secure a stable natural growth of the Russian population in the next decade," Putin said.

"By the end of next decade we will try to boost GDP by 1.5 times," he said.

Putin also stressed that average life expectancy in Russia should be over 80 years by the end of next decade. "By the end of next decade Russia should join the club of 80+ life expectancy," Putin stressed, saying that the country should allocate at least 3.4trln rubles to improve the demographic situation in the country. 

It is necessary people have "healthy and active life, when diseases do not limit and constrain people," he continued. "I am confident, this objective - noting the positive recent dynamics - is realistic."

Those beyond the working age should receive high-quality healthcare and social services. "Our moral duty is to support people of the older generation, who made a huge input in development of this country. The elderly should have decent conditions for active, healthy long lives," the president said.

"My opinion is that the future new government must offer a special program for systematic support and raising living standards for the elderly," Putin said. According to him, in 2000, the life expectancy in Russia was slightly over 65 years, and in 2017, it hit the historic record of almost 73 years.

"Urban development should become the driving force for Russia," President Putin noted, adding that " those living in rural areas should be integrated".

Accordingt o President Putin, expenses for developing all roads should be doubled to 11 trillion rubles over the next six years. "In total, over the next six years, it is necessary to almost double the expenses for constructing and developing roads in Russia, to allocate more than 11 trillion rubles for this purpose from all sources. This is a lot, bearing in mind that in 2016-2017 we used 6.4 trillion rubles for it," he stressed.

Russia's president also called equal education possibilities for each child the country's priority.

The address of Russian President to the Federal Assembly will be held not at the Kremlin’s St George Hall, but at Manege exhibition hall, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier, adding that it will be accompanied with a special video slideshow. The decision was made due with the increase in the number of guests and the use of new technologies.

In accordance with the country's Constitution, the Russian president makes an annual state-of-the-nation address to the Federal Assembly on the situation in the country and the country’s domestic and foreign policy priorities.